Blackbird
by Marauders4EVR
Summary: "Blackbird singing in the dead of night..." - They were named after the stars and were expected to be as extraordinary as the heavens. They exceeded expectations. One had the fervor of a dog. The other had the heart of a lion. Together, they were invincible. This is the story of Sirius and Regulus.
1. Chapter 1

Legal Disclaimer: All Harry Potter names, characters, places, incidents et al. herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and her legal licensees, including but not limited to Bloomsbury/Scholastic, etc. No copyright or trademark infringement is intended and no money is being made. I own nothing but my heartbreaking ideas.

Author's Note: I solemnly swear that I am up to no good! At long last, I'm finally writing a story about the tragically beautiful lives of my two favorite literary characters—Sirius and Regulus Black! It will go from their first memories to their deaths, touching on every moment in between. I really want to focus on their childhood and their upbringing. Each chapter will alternate between the brothers' points of view. I'll upload two chapters every Tuesday! I genuinely appreciate every single review that I receive and take all criticisms into account!

Rating: T

Dedication: This story is dedicated to Sarah. You've been a great friend, even as I've bombarded you with multiple headcanons concerning these two boys. Now, have a whole story of emotionally scarring headcanons! *Cackles Evilly* Ahem. Anyway…

_Blackbird singing in the dead of night_

_Take these broken wings and learn to fly_

_All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to arise_

_Blackbird singing in the dead of night_

_Take these sunken eyes and learn to see_

_All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to be free_

Blackbird; The Beatles

**Blackbird**

Chapter One

Sirius Black's first memory was of Regulus.

Or rather, his first memory was of the harsh, angry, wails that had to have belonged to Regulus.

Sirius angrily huffed and flopped onto his stomach. He was practically lost in a sea of blankets. He wasn't used to this new bed. He doubted that he would ever be used to it. It was gigantic! He could roll over several times before coming to the edge. He did just that before uneasily glancing at the floor. It was miles away.

Regulus continued to scream and cry.

Sirius sleepily covered his ears.

Stupid Regulus.

He immediately felt guilty. It wasn't his brother's fault. Babies cried. They also made a mess and threw things. Sirius sourly felt the bump on his head as he remembered the dinner last night. Regulus had thrown his bottle at him, before devouring into a fit of giggles.

Sirius giggled. Thinking back, it _was_ pretty funny.

What _wasn't_ funny was the fact that his brother was continuing to scream. His parents must have heard Regulus by now. They should have been racing up the stairs, ready to hold and comfort him. And yet, Sirius could hear two snores from somewhere below. He impatiently waited but they didn't break.

'What about Kreacher?' Sirius thought. He shuddered at the thought. Their house-elf was old and wrinkled. Frankly, Sirius thought that he looked terrifying. Certainly, his face was not one that should be seen in the middle of the night.

Sirius peered over the edge of his bed once more. He took a deep breath and debated whether or not he wanted to risk it. In the end, he didn't have much of a choice. His blanket slipped and he fell to the floor with an unattractive thud.

He sat, quite shocked, before tears brimmed his own eyes. He miserably wiped them away. If they weren't coming for Regulus, they weren't coming for him.

Sirius shakily stood up. He was still learning to walk and his legs sometimes got confused. Nevertheless, he managed to wobble over to his door. His hands clumsily found the doorknob but ended up slipping away. He reached for it again and managed to grab hold. He turned it and grinned with success as the door finally opened.

Unfortunately, this just caused the noise to escalate. Sirius' hands flew to his ears. How could their parents be sleeping through this racket?

Sirius wondered if it had anything to do with the potions that they had taken after dinner; the ones that smelled like lavender. His mother had given him the same potion when he was ill and he had slept for three whole days. But were _they_ ill? Sirius didn't know. He hoped that they were alright. He was barely two. He couldn't take care of a baby by himself. Nor did he want to.

He crossed the corridor and tripped over the elegant runner. He crashed to the ground once more. He bit his lip before crawling over to the decorative table and pulling himself up.

He then staggered over to Regulus' door. Sirius and Regulus had the top floor of Number 12 Grimmauld Place to themselves. They each had a bedroom with a large bathroom to share. They were often sent to the floor when their parents discussed things that "weren't meant for children's ears". Sirius personally didn't know what was wrong with his ears but he didn't mind being away from his parents. Their voices often became loud and harsh. Sirius didn't really like it when they did that. It made him want to cry, even if he didn't do anything wrong.

Sirius fumbled and finally managed to open Regulus' door. His brother's miserable wails echoed around the large room. The infant's face was red and pinched. His eyes were slits. He was gripping the bars of cot. Sirius scowled. That had been _his_ cot. He would like very much to have it back. His parents had taken the cot away from him without asking. You weren't supposed to take things that didn't belong to you. And yet, they had taken his cot and had given it to his brother. He, in turn, was given his gigantic bed. He didn't want his bed. He wanted his cot.

Regulus blinked at his presence. The distraught shrieks haltered for a second before starting up once more.

"What?" Sirius asked.

But of course, Regulus was too young to answer.

Sirius glanced around and suddenly realized why his brother was screaming. His bottle was on the floor, a horrid consequence from his desire to throw things. Sirius would have laughed, had his brother not looked so miserable.

He walked over, grabbed it, and clumsily threw it into the cot; _his_ cot. Regulus blinked at this sudden intrusion of privacy. He stopped screaming and he stared at the bottle in confusion. His face finally broke out into a gummy smile and he grabbed it, happily sucking.

"All right?" Sirius gently asked.

Judging by the sounds of happy drinking, Sirius could tell that he was.

Sirius happily smiled, feeling quite proud of himself.

He glanced around before spotting a toy chest in the corner. Another sour feeling entered his stomach. Those were _his_ toys. Not Regulus'. He walked over and selfishly sorted through them. He spotted a giant book and frowned. This was _his_ book. He grabbed it and nearly buckled under its weight. It fell to the ground and he bent over, dragging it across the floor.

Regulus tilted his head, lowering the bottle.

"It's mine!" Sirius cried, "My book."

Regulus merely blinked at him.

Sirius straightened up and defensively repeated, "It's mine."

He was met with more blinking.

"It _is_."

Blink. Blink.

Sirius huffed. Regulus wouldn't miss it. He was too young to read anyway. So was Sirius but that was beside the point. Besides, the book was magical. The pictures flew right off of the pages and talked to him. Regulus didn't deserve it anyway. Sirius was pretty sure that it had been his birthday present. Or a present from Christmas. Either way, it wasn't Regulus'. But like his cot and his toys, it had become Regulus'.

It simply wasn't fair. Why did Regulus get all of his things? They were _his_ things.

He really wished that his brother would stop looking at him.

Sirius dragged the book for a few more feet before hesitating. Regulus was still staring at him, his eyes wide and accusing. Sirius immediately felt guilty. But still…it was his book…

He sat down, pondering this difficult decision.

He finally sighed and whispered, "Okay."

He dragged it over to Regulus' cot. He threw the book over the railing, narrowly missing his brother. Regulus stared at it for a moment before immediately biting in the corner.

"Don't," Sirius laughed.

He glanced around before mischievously pulling out the drawers to the dresser. He climbed up them before leaping right into the cot. Regulus cracked up and Sirius proudly smiled.

He then grabbed the book and flipped to a page.

His brother's eyes widened with awe as a sparkling golden light swirled around them. He laughed and tried to grab at the sparks. They reflected in the brother's silver eyes before forming into a bearded wizard. He always told the title of the story.

Sirius snuggled up next to Regulus as the wizard boomed: "This is the tale of _Babbity Rabbity and her Cackling Stump_."

They watched as the wizard swirled into a king sitting upon a throne.

"_A long time ago, in a far-off land, there lived a foolish king who decided that he alone should have the power of magic."_

The king and his throne formed into a bunch of wizards, marching in straight lines.

"_He therefore commanded the head of his army to form a Brigade of Witch-Hunters, and issued them with a pack of ferocious black hounds."_

Several golden dogs raced around the brothers and barked. Regulus jumped and snuggled closer to his brother. Sirius gave him a comforting smile.

The two brothers sat and watched the story unfold. Regulus eventually dozed off, using Sirius' shoulder as a pillow and subsequently soaking his pajamas with drool. Sirius didn't mind. He smiled and continued to watch the story until he too fell asleep. He would be yelled at in the morning for leaving his bedroom and disturbing Regulus' precious sleep. But for now, the two brothers peacefully dozed on, as a golden rabbit bounced around their heads.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Regulus Black's first memory was of Sirius.

The two brothers were standing in a long corridor. It was one of many in their house. Sirius' hands were tightly holding Regulus' wrists. Regulus was just over a year old; his fists were still chubby and infant-like. His whole body wanted to lean away from his brother. He wanted to plop onto his bottom and crawl away but Sirius wouldn't hear of it.

"Come on, Reg," Sirius whispered.

Regulus shook his head, tears stinging his eyes.

"Come on!"

His lip quivered and he blurted out a single word, "Scared."

"Don't be," Sirius assuredly said, "It's alright. I've got you. See?"

Regulus saw. His brother was standing close enough that their noses were nearly brushing against one another. Sirius was donning a kind smile but Regulus couldn't return it. He was too afraid. His knees were shaking. He just wanted to sit down and crawl away.

"You can do this," Sirius whispered.

From anyone else, those four words wouldn't have meant anything. And yet, coming from Sirius, they gave Regulus strength. He took a deep breath and shifted his foot across the ground. Sirius took a step back and allowed Regulus' other foot to slide forward. His face finally broke out into a smile. He could do this. He shakily lifted his foot and realized that it was quite heavy. He teetered for a moment and Sirius' grip tightened. Regulus lowered his foot, picked up the other one, and lowered it as well.

He moved his feet two more times and then something went wrong. His foot flew out from beneath him and suddenly he was flying backwards. Sirius tried to hold him but it was too late. Regulus fell to the ground with a soft thump. He wasn't hurt but certainly was surprised.

"Reg?" Sirius squeaked.

There was a moment's pause before he opened his mouth and let out a terrific wail. Tears spilled down his cheeks, even as his brother frantically cried words of encouragement. Sirius' own eyes were sparkling with tears. Regulus couldn't understand why. He was the one who was supposed to be upset. Sirius finally leaned forward and rested his forehead against Regulus'. Regulus was surprised by the action but he found himself settling down until he wondered why he was upset in the first place.

"See?" Sirius cheerfully said, pulling back, "You're alright."

Regulus nodded in agreement. Sirius wiped his eyes with his shirt and Regulus reflexively blew his nose. His brother gagged, causing him to laugh.

Sirius smirked and asked, "Wanna try again?"

Regulus shook his head.

"Oh, come on."

"Crawl," Regulus declared.

"You can't crawl everywhere," Sirius pointed out.

"Can."

"Can't," Sirius corrected, "I wish we could."

"Carry me."

"I'm too small."

Regulus flopped onto his back in utter resignation.

His brother cracked up and flopped next to him.

Regulus spoke in a small voice, "Don't want to."

"Yeah, you do."

"Don't."

"You have to."

"Why?"

"'Can't crawl everywhere."

"Why not?"

Sirius blinked before saying, "You just can't!"

Regulus pouted and refused to move. He would spend the rest of his life on the floor if he had to. Nothing that Sirius did would make him budge…

"I'll give you my pudding."

Regulus' eyes widened as he realized what his brother had just said. Both of them had seen Kreacher prepare a large pudding for dessert. The house-elf had boasted that he was going to use live salamander fire to turn it into a brûlée. Regulus had no idea what a brûlée was and neither did Sirius but Kreacher had assured them that it would be delicious. And now Sirius was offering him his piece. He glanced at his brother, just to be sure.

"I'll give you my piece," Sirius assuredly said, "If you try again."

Regulus thought about it for a moment before nodding.

"Okay!" Sirius exclaimed, "Up we go!"

He helped Regulus to his feet, tightly held his hands, and they tried again. This time, his brother helped him take five entire steps. Regulus finally collapsed from exhaustion.

"Brilliant!" Sirius cheered, "Good job, Reg!"

Regulus beamed with pride before sheepishly asking, "Crawl?"

"Go on," Sirius laughed.

They walked/crawled along the corridor. Regulus couldn't stop smiling as Sirius continued to cry words of praise. His brother even offered to give him his dessert for the rest of the week. Regulus didn't care, really. Sirius was proud of him. That was enough for Regulus.

Author's Note: I bet you're wondering why I chose to have happy, sappy, moments as the brothers' first memories instead of two tragic moments? Don't worry! There will be plenty of tragic moments to make up for their happy ones.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

There were sixty-four steps in Number 12 Grimmauld Place, not including the ones that led down to the kitchen. The Black family rarely entered the kitchen; this was Kreacher's domain. The house-elf would carry the trays of food up to the giant dining room and line them up on the long table. Sirius and Regulus were expected to be in their seats at the designated times with their hands washed and their napkins in their laps.

To Sirius, the journey from the fourth floor to the ground floor was always a grand adventure. His brother was still too young to walk down the stairs. Instead, Regulus would plop onto his bottom and would bump down every single step. Sirius would walk next to him, cheerfully create elaborate situations. Some days, they were scaling the snowy peaks of the Himalayas. Other days, they were lost in a haunted castle. And still other days found them in the pyramids of Ancient Egypt. Regulus would gleefully play along. He would shiver as the snow turned into a blizzard, trapping them on the top of the mountain. He would apprehensively glance around, on alert for the ghosts that spent their nights roaming the castle corridors. He would bump down the steps a little faster to get away from the decaying mummies.

Today, Sirius plopped down next to his brother and challenged him to a race.

Regulus' eyes lit up with excitement and he immediately agreed.

"First one to the dining room wins," Sirius exclaimed.

"What's the prize?" Regulus asked.

Sirius thought about it for a moment before saying, "My Circe card."

His aunt had given him several chocolate frogs for his third birthday. Sirius had wolfed down the chocolate before glancing at the accompanying cards. The one card was of a Greek witch who turned sailors into pigs. Both brothers bashfully thought that she was beautiful.

"Alright," Regulus agreed.

"On your mark," Sirius whispered, "Get set…GO!"

The two began to quickly bump down the stairs. Unfortunately, Regulus had been doing so his entire life. Sirius unhappily frowned as his brother shot past him. By the time Sirius reached the last stairwell, Regulus was already at the bottom Sirius growled in frustration and leapt to his feet. After all, he hadn't specified that they both had to sit on their bottoms. He could run and still beat Regulus to the dining room.

Sirius started forward, forgetting to grab onto the railing for support. He made it three steps before his foot scuffed the edge of a step. He teetered on the edge, frantically waving his arms to keep balance. It was too late. The world fell out from beneath him as he hurdled forward.

His arms came forward and his palms crashed against the hard wood. He shrieked in pain and fear as he tumbled down the flight of stairs. His arms and legs flailed as he attempted to stop himself but he couldn't grab onto anything. His trousers ripped at the knees and he felt the sting of the fresh scrapes. He reached the bottom and slammed into something. His brother cried out and Sirius realized, too late, that he had crashed into him. The two tumbled down the last three steps and stopped in a heap on the flat ground.

Sirius' entire body ached. He bit his lip and rolled away from his brother.

"Reg?" Sirius grunted, "Are you okay?"

"Uh-huh," Regulus whispered, "You?"

"I…"

"What _happened_?"

Their father had a remarkable talent of speaking in a growl that somehow still managed to fill the entire foyer. Sirius flinched for reasons other than his wounds. He blinked up at his father and flushed. It was reflexive. Some men demanded respect and power. His father was the exception. He didn't need power or respect; he had enough of that already. Though he was only three-years-old, Sirius knew that his father demanded something else…something more. Orion Black demanded humiliation. One look from his father's steel-grey eyes told you whether you were doing something that was worthy of his praise or whether you should be ashamed for said action. They should be so lucky to merely receive a look if it was the latter. Their father did not hesitate at verbally humiliating, berating, and degrading them; as though they were disgraces by merely existing. Sirius was too young to understand any means of psychology and therefore was naïve to the idea of negative reinforcement. Still, he still knew that he wanted to avoid that scornful look of disgust and that chilling growl.

And then, another voice cut through the air like a blade.

"What have you _done_?"

Their mother's voice was not quiet, to say the least. Her presence in the room was always known and always noted. Their mother exploded like an active volcano, screaming and shrieking until their eardrums ached. Even when she spoke calmly, her voice was loud enough to rattle windows. And yet, it wasn't the _voice_ that Sirius truly feared. It was the way her face transformed when he had misbehaved; a look that Sirius would know quite well. Her already sharp features would harden. Her mouth would twist into an unattractive snarl. But the worst was her eyes…normally a soft green, they would harden and flash until they were the brightest things in the room. They would pierce your skin, giving you no choice but to hang your head to avoid the intensity of her glare. Much like her husband, Walburga Black demanded one thing from her sons. Walburga demanded nothing less than perfection.

Orion demanded humiliation.

Walburga demanded perfection.

They made quite a lovely couple.

Sirius always thought that his parents looked like royalty, with their curled hair, handsome features, and elaborate robes. And yet, his father was not a just king, their mother was not a kind queen, and he was not a spoiled prince.

He swallowed at his mother's eyes turned vibrantly green.

"It was an accident," Sirius stammered, "Honestly, it was…"

"KREACHER!"

The house-elf appeared at once and graciously said, "Yes, Mistress Black?"

"Take Regulus into the dining room at once!"

"Of course, Mistress."

The house-elf took Regulus' hand and dragged him along. He glanced over his shoulder and worriedly caught Sirius eye. Then the door was closed and Sirius was alone with his parents.

"What happened?"

Sirius bit his lip at their father's repeated remark and mumbled, "I…I asked Regulus if he wanted to race and I accidentally tripped…"

"Because of your recklessness," Orion summarized, "Regulus was almost badly injured."

Sirius quickly glanced down at his own scraped hands and knees.

Their mother detonated, "IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT? DO YOU WANT YOUR BROTHER TO GET HURT?"

"N…no," Sirius stammered, "Of course not!"

"You ought to be ashamed of yourself."

"I BET YOU THOUGHT THAT IT WAS FUNNY!"

"Did you even think of the consequences?"

"NASTY LTITLE BRAT!"

"Impetuously selfish, as always."

"SO HELP ME, IF HE HAS ONE BRUISE…"

They continued to lecture and scream. His father eventually fell silent, glaring daggers as his mother continued to shriek. She continued to shriek, even as tears spilled down Sirius' face. She continued to shriek, even as he promised that he would never play a game on the stairwell again. She continued to shriek, even as he blurted out that he would behave…he would be a good son…he didn't want to be a disgrace…he would be good. She continued to shriek until Sirius fell silent, too distraught to speak. She continued to shriek until Regulus was finishing his second helping of lamb behind the thick, soundproof, walls of the dining room. She continued to shriek until his father pulled him to his feet and growled that he was grounded for a week. She continued to shriek until she knew that Sirius would never again be so foolish…so idiotic…so disgraceful. She continued to shriek until Sirius had forgotten that he hadn't done anything wrong.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Happy Birthday, Regulus!"

The youngest Black brother jerked awake as somebody pounced onto his bed.

Sirius grinned at him and cried, "Come on! I got you a wicked present. Uncle Alphard took me to the store last week. Get up!"

"Alright," Regulus laughed, "I'm up!"

He quickly got dressed and followed Sirius down the stairs, carefully holding onto the railing. He was old enough to walk down them now. Sirius also clung to the railing, a small frown on his face as he remembered the incident from a few months ago.

They finally reached the dining room. Their parents wished him a happy birthday and he happily thanked them. Kreacher served him a tall stack of pancakes with three candles on top.

"Thanks, Kreacher!" Regulus exclaimed.

The house-elf's chest puffed with pride. Regulus liked the house-elf, even if his brother complained about his cooking. Indeed, Sirius was poking at his lumpy porridge.

Regulus hesitated before saying, "Err…Kreacher…can I have another plate?"

"Of course, Young Master Black!"

The plate was brought to him within seconds. Regulus blew out the three candles before plopping several pancakes onto the spare plate. He then handed the plate to his brother. Sirius looked up, pleasantly surprised.

"Regulus," Walburga chastised, "That's your birthday breakfast."

"It's alright," Regulus earnestly said, "I want him to have them."

Sirius didn't wait for their mother to say anything else. He eagerly dug in.

"Mind your table-manners," Orion growled.

"Yes, Father," Sirius muttered.

"What was that?"

Sirius looked up and clearly repeated, "Yes, Father."

"Very good."

"Can I give Reg my present?" Sirius asked.

"After breakfast," Walburga snapped, "Eat."

The brothers ate as quickly as possible without causing trouble. Their parents eventually grunted in approval and Sirius ran up to his room. Regulus eagerly squirmed as the seconds ticked by. Sirius finally returned, proudly holding a diamond-shaped package. Regulus curiously opened it and realized that it was a kite.

He grinned and whispered, "Wow!"

"It's self velitating," Sirius bragged.

Their father glanced up and corrected, "Levitating."

"Yeah, that," Sirius cried, "It can stay up in the air."

"It's amazing!" Regulus exclaimed, "Thanks, Sirius!"

"Do you like it?"

"I love it!" Regulus gushed, "Mother, can we go outside?"

Walburga grunted, looking as though she detested the idea.

"Please?" Regulus begged, "Just out to the Square."

Grimmauld Square was the small park across the street. There wasn't much of a playground and the grass was always overgrown but the brothers enjoyed it nonetheless.

"Oh…fine," Walburga huffed, "Since it's your birthday…"

Sirius and Regulus practically fell over each other as they raced for the door.

"NO RUNNING!" Walburga shrieked, "Or you'll spend your birthday in your room."

Regulus couldn't help it; he was too excited. It was relatively warm for a February morning. The sky was blue and the sun baked the back of their necks as they headed across the street. Regulus proudly clung onto the kite, which was threatening to jump away from him.

"Don't forget to hang onto the string," Sirius warned.

"I won't," Regulus laughed.

They pushed open the gate and Walburga retreated to the rusty bench. Sirius leapt onto a swing and spun around and around, digging his feet into the ground, until the chains were completely twisted. He then brought his feet up and laughed as the swing rapidly whirled.

Regulus let go of the kite, grabbing the string at the last moment. It shot into the air and, for a split second, he thought that it was going to take him with it. He gleefully laughed as he watched it dance against the sky. Sirius whooped and hollered.

His brother finally leapt from the swing and cried, "Can I try?"

Regulus handed it over and felt someone tap on his shoulder.

He turned and came nose-to-nose with a freckly face.

The boy grinned and cried, "I love your kite!"

"My brother gave it to me," Regulus proudly said, "It's my birthday."

"How old are you?"

"Three."

The boy's grin widened and he exclaimed, "Me too! Happy Birthday!"

"Thanks!" Regulus replied, "Do you want a turn?"

"I'd love…"

"REGULUS ARCTURUS BLACK! COME AWAY FROM THERE AT ONCE!"

Their mother was racing towards them. Regulus nearly jumped out of his skin. He had never seen her look so unhinged.

"Mother, what's wrong?" Sirius gasped.

Walburga caught Regulus' wrist and cried, "Back into the house. NOW!"

She pulled Regulus, causing his arm to ache. He had to run to keep up. Sirius anxiously followed them, gripping the kite.

He watched as their mother stared at the row of houses. Their house slickly appeared, squished between Number 11 and Number 13. The brothers were ushered inside.

"What'd I do?" Regulus squeaked.

"Nothing, my child," Walburga assuredly said, "You did nothing at all. You were merely the victim of your own naivety."

"Huh?"

"Sirius," Walburga ordered, "I want you to go play in your room."

Sirius swallowed before replying, "Yes, Mother."

He raced upstairs, practically hugging the railing.

"Regulus," Walburga sharply continued, "Come with me."

Regulus nervously followed her to the first floor and into the elaborate drawing room.

"Regulus," Walburga quietly said, "Do you remember what a Muggle is?"

Regulus nodded and replied, "It's a person who isn't magical like us."

"Very good."

He proudly lifted his chin.

His mother continued, "That little boy was a Muggle."

Regulus' smile faded and he mumbled, "Oh…I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't," Walburga agreed, "Which is why I'm going to read you a story."

Regulus immediately perked up. That wouldn't be so bad.

"Sit."

He clumsily climbed onto the couch, folding his hands in his lap.

Walburga pulled a dusty book from the shelf and sat in the rocking chair.

"What's it called?" Regulus eagerly asked.

"Don't be impatient," Walburga chastised, "A good son minds his impetuousness."

"Yes, Mother," Regulus guiltily said, "I'm sorry."

He hung his head, knowing that it was wrong to have rushed her.

His mother pursed her lips before explaining, "My father read me this story when I was your age. It is called _The Deadly Nightshade_."

Regulus blinked. He wasn't sure that he was going to like this story.

Walburga cracked open the book and began to read:

_A mother and her son were picking herbs in the forest. The herbs would be used to make magnificent potions. The boy stumbled upon a patch of belladonna. His mother quickly pulled him away, telling him that while it may look like the other herbs, it was extremely toxic._

_As they returned to their cottage, the boy's mother quietly spoke up:_

"_Listen, Paul…human beings in this world are like the herbs in the forest. There are good herbs and there are good people. There are bad herbs and there are bad people. And we must be on guard against those poisonous people, just as we must be on guard against the poisonous herbs. Do you understand that?"_

"_Yes, Mother," Paul obediently replied._

"_Do you know who these bad people are; these poisonous herbs of mankind?"_

_Paul raised his chin with pride, "Of course I know, Mother! They are the Muggles. Our teacher has often told us about them."_

_Paul's mother praised him for his intelligence before continuing to explain the different types of poisonous Muggles; the genuine Muggles who were naïve to magic, the Muggle-Borns, the Half-Bloods…and so on…_

"_But, Mother," Paul naively said, "Don't Muggles look just like us?"_

"_It's a disguise, my son," Paul's mother replied, "However they disguise themselves or however friendly they try to be, affirming a thousand good intentions to us, one must never believe them. Muggles are as they remain. For the wizarding kind, they are poison."_

"_Like the deadly nightshade!" Paul cried._

"_Yes, my child! Just as a single leaf of belladonna can kill an entire family, so a solitary Muggle can destroy an entire village…an entire city…an entire wizarding race."_

_Paul understood._

"_Tell me, Mother," Paul said, "Does every wizard and witch know that the Muggle is as dangerous as the deadly nightshade?"_

_His mother shook her head._

"_Unfortunately not, my child. There are millions of wizards and witches who do not yet know about the Muggles. It's up to us to enlighten our naïve brothers and sisters and warn them against the Muggles. Our young people, too, must be warned. Our boys and girls must learn to know the Muggle. They must learn that the Muggle is the most poisonous herb in existence. Just as the belladonna has sprung up everywhere, so the Muggle is found in every country in the world. Just as belladonna can lead to treacherous calamity, so is the Muggle the cause of misery and distress, illness and death."*_

Walburga sharply closed the book.

Regulus' mind was buzzing. He hadn't liked that story at all.

"Do you understand, my son?" Walburga whispered.

"I…err…I think so," Regulus stammered.

The truth was that he didn't understand at all. The child in the park…the one who had been so kind when talking about his kite…the Muggle…he was a monster? He didn't _look _like a monster. He didn't sound like one either. And yet, just like the dangerous herbs in the forest, the belladonna fit right in. It could easily be mistaken for a good herb.

Regulus was immediately paralyzed with fear.

"Mother," he whispered, "Am I going to die?"

"No, Regulus," Walburga replied, "However, you must be careful. That boy might have seemed harmless but like the deadly nightshade, looks can be deceiving."

Regulus nodded, trying not to show his confusion.

"Very good," Walburga praised, "Go on and play."

Regulus anxiously leapt up but willed himself to slowly walk out of the room. He turned and saw that Sirius was sitting against the wall.

"What're you doing?" Regulus curiously asked.

"Waiting for you," Sirius whispered, "Alright?"

"'m okay," Regulus replied, "Why?"

"Just checking," Sirius mumbled, "Let's go upstairs."

Regulus obediently followed his brother to his bedroom.

Sirius shut the door and asked, "She didn't yell at you, did she?"

"No, no," Regulus quickly said, "Nothing like that."

His mother rarely yelled at him.

"She read me a story," Regulus continued.

"What was it about?"

"Muggles," Regulus explained, "And herbs."

Sirius nodded and muttered, "I remember that one."

"I didn't like it," Regulus admitted, "It was scary."

"Scary?"

"Well, they're monsters," Regulus cried, "Like the monsters beneath the bed.

"There's no such thing," Sirius snorted.

Nevertheless, the eldest Black brother inched away from his bed.

Regulus swallowed and Sirius added, "Don't worry. I'll protect you from the monsters."

"Really?" Regulus hopefully asked.

"Of course," Sirius whispered, "That's what big brothers do."

* The book that Walburga reads Regulus is heavily based off of the book: _The Poisonous Mushroom_. The story comes from _Der Giftpilz_, an anti-Semitic children's book published by Julius Streicher. This was an actual children's book that was used to inspire Nazism. There is a very unsettling parallel between Voldemort and the Death Eaters and Hitler and the Nazis.

Needless to say, I've been doing some very unsettling research in the past few weeks.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Sirius could not stop shivering. The frigid winter air pushed through the floorboards and found him, snuggled beneath the blanket in his enormous bed. Sirius finally sat up and found his slippers. He draped his blanket around his shoulders, like an elegant cloak, and set off. He knew that the drawing room had a large fireplace. He would ask Kreacher to prepare a fire.

Five minutes later, the eldest Black brother was sitting next to the crackling flames.

"Young Master Black _should_ be in bed," Kreacher scolded, "Very bad."

The house-elf used a poker to shift several logs.

"I was freezing, Kreacher," Sirius complained.

He watched, slightly annoyed, as Kreacher shook his head in disapproval.

"Unless Young Master Black needs anything else," Kreacher declared, with a hopeful look, "Kreacher will be returning to his sleep."

"Go on," Sirius yawned.

"Don't touch that fire," Kreacher warned, "It's very hot."

"I'm not an idiot, Kreacher," Sirius laughed, "'Night."

"Goodnight, Young Master Black."

The house-elf snapped his fingers and disappeared.

Sirius let the blanket fall from his shoulders. He sleepily looked around the room.

He perked up as he saw something on the opposite wall. It was a large tapestry. Sirius apprehensively approached it. Dozens of faces were embroidered against an emerald green background. Golden branches wove in and out, connecting the faces.

"Sirius?"

Sirius nearly jumped out of his skin. He whirled around and saw that his father was standing in the doorway.

"F…Father," Sirius stammered.

"Kreacher told me that you were up," Orion curtly said, "What're you doing?"

"N…nothing," Sirius earnestly replied, "Just looking at this."

His father's eyes shifted past him and he seemed to soften.

"Ah," Orion whispered, "The tapestry."

"I'm sorry," Sirius cried, "I'll go back to bed."

"There's no need to apologize."

Sirius stopped, stunned by his father's words.

"After all," Orion boomed, "Every boy should be interested in his heritage. This here is the tapestry of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black."

He had entered the room and was fondly staring at the tapestry.

Sirius blinked and uttered a confused, "Oh."

"It's our family tree," Orion explained.

That made more sense.

"See there," Orion pointed, "That's you."

Sirius stared at the small embroidery of his face.

"Why am I wearing a hat?" Sirius laughed.

His father frowned and he quickly said, "I mean…err…it's a nice hat."

Orion nodded and continued, "That's me and this is your mother. As you know, you are the brother of Regulus. This is my sister, Aunt Lucretia. You haven't met her. Her husband, Ignatius, whisked her away to Ireland. They've been living near the Bog of Allen for almost a decade. They like the solitude. They still send postcards during the holidays.."

Sirius politely nodded.

His father continued to speak, "You know Uncles Alphard and Cyngus; they're your mother's brothers."

Sirius nodded. He liked Uncle Alphard. The man was always a bit odd. He didn't have any children and loved to spoil Sirius and Regulus. He showed them different spells and tricks, gave them sweets and other presents, and took them on exciting trips. Uncle Cygnus didn't do anything like that. He was a very proper man; like Sirius' father. Aunt Druella wasn't much more exciting. She was happier than mother, though only just.

Sirius stared at the three faces beneath his aunt and uncle.

"Your cousins," Orion explained, "Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa."

Sirius nodded and yawned.

"My father," Orion boomed, pointing, "Arcturus."

"That's Regulus' middle name," Sirius sleepily pointed out.

Orion nodded and continued, "My mother, Melania. They've both passed on."

Sirius wearily nodded.

"And then your mother's father," Orion droned on, "Pollux Black. He's in a nursing home in Greece. Your maternal grandmother was Irma. She was a Crabbe."

Sirius giggled.

"What's so funny?"

"She was a _what_?" Sirius asked.

"A Crabbe."

Sirius giggled again. He could only imagine his grandmother walking sideways and grabbing at things with her large claws. He suddenly noticed a burn mark on the tapestry.

"Your mother did that," Orion explained, "Marius was her brother."

Sirius had noticed that his tone had grown cold.

"He was a Squib," Orion spat, "Born with no magic. None at all. An absolute disgrace."

Sirius swallowed.

"Nothing is more shameful, Sirius," Orion growled, "Nothing."

Sirius' head bobbed up and down. He had been told this before. Squibs were the absolute scum of the wizarding world. He swallowed as his father went on and on. Eventually, he crossed the room. His father didn't notice; he was too busy going on about his great aunts.

Sirius sat in front of the hearth and drew his knees to his chest. The fire was almost gone; there was nothing more than the embers twinkling in the cracks of the logs.

He watched them as his mind wandered. He hadn't done any magic yet. He had walked well before the expected age and had talked before the expected age. Yet, most children did magic before they were four. He was almost five! He had heard his parents whispering the other day; worried, angry, whispers that were about him.

Sirius felt his stomach twist into a knot. What if he never did magic? What if, Merlin forbid, he was a Squib? His parents would kick him out of the house. He wasn't even five! He couldn't live on the streets. Perhaps he could find a nice orphanage. One that didn't serve lumpy porridge for breakfast. At least he wouldn't have to worry about his mother's screaming or his father's disapproving gazes. Yes, that would be nice. An orphanage wouldn't be _so_ terrible.

But what would become of Regulus?

Sirius would never see his brother again.

His lower lip trembled at the thought. He felt as though pins and needles were poking every part of his body. He was much too hot. His nightgown was thick and scratchy. The flames were getting larger. Larger. _Larger_. Sirius yelled out as the fire reached the top of the hearth and threatened to leap out.

"Watch it!" Orion roared.

Sirius leapt to his feet and stumbled backwards. His father quickly withdrew his wand and muttered a spell. The fire simmered down.

"Did you do that?" Orion demanded.

"No, sir," Sirius gasped, "At least, I…I don't think…"

His father was sharply surveying him.

Sirius dug his foot into the ground and earnestly said, "Honest, I don't know what happened. I didn't touch it."

"Are you lying to me?"

"No, sir," Sirius whispered, "I was just sitting there…thinking."

His father was looking quite thoughtful.

"Do it again," Orion demanded, "Think about what you were thinking before."

Sirius frowned and murmured, "Do I have to?"

His father raised an eyebrow and Sirius sighed. He turned back towards the fireplace and reluctantly began to think about being in the orphanage. Nothing happened. Sirius thought harder. He would be in an orphanage. On a scratchy bed. Maybe they _would_ serve porridge for breakfast. Perhaps it would be lumpier than Kreacher's. Sirius made a face and glumly noticed that nothing had happened. He kept thinking about the orphanage. He would be sent there because he was a Squib. His parents would hate him. Regulus wouldn't hate him; Regulus would never hate him. But he wouldn't ever see Regulus again.

Sirius felt the strange panicky feeling again.

Quite suddenly, lively flames were dancing in the hearth.

"Well done, my son!"

Sirius jumped at his father's cry.

"I'm so proud of you."

"You're…what?" Sirius spluttered.

"You have just done magic," Orion boomed, "Quite impressive, I might add."

"I…I did?" Sirius burst out.

"Indeed!"

"So, I'm not a Squib?" Sirius asked, practically melting with relief.

"My son?" Orion barked, "A Squib? Nonsense!"

Sirius puffed out his chest in pride.

"I'll tell your mother in the morning," Orion continued, "She'll be pleased. You're on your way to becoming a fully-fledged wizard."

Sirius couldn't stop smiling. He wasn't a Squib! He had done magic!

"Easter is in a week," Orion declared, "Perhaps with enough practice, you could show your aunt and uncle that trick. They will—"

Sirius excitedly interjected, "Excuse me, Father. May I go to bed?"

Orion looked ruffled but gave a sharp nod.

Sirius practically flew up the staircase. However, when he reached the top floor, he didn't enter his bedroom. Instead, he threw Regulus' door open.

"Reg!" Sirius exclaimed, "Get up! I have something to tell you!"

His brother sleepily blinked awake.

"Come on," Sirius impatiently said, "Wake up!"

"But I don't want to ride the purple dragon," Regulus exhaustedly murmured.

"Wake up, Reg," Sirius laughed.

His brother rubbed his eyes and reluctantly sat up.

"I did magic," Sirius whispered.

He watched as his brother's eyes widened.

"You did magic?" Regulus repeated.

Sirius nodded.

"Show me!" Regulus squealed.

"Not now," Sirius replied, "Tomorrow, maybe."

Regulus beamed before murmuring, "I wonder when I'll show magic."

He hesitated and added, "If I do."

"'Course you will," Sirius bracingly said.

Regulus' smile widened and his head found his pillow once more.

"Goodnight, Reg," Sirius chuckled.

He crept back to his room and leapt into bed. He felt as though he was still sitting next to the fire. A warmth had spread through his entire body, reaching his fingertips and toes. Sirius closed his eyes and peacefully drifted to sleep.

Author's Note: Thank you, J.K. Rowling, for your drawing of the family tree! And thank you, readers, for your reviews so far!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Regulus felt itchy. He went to scratch his arm but his mother swatted his hand away. He couldn't help it! He was wearing a suit that might as well have been made from sandpaper. He glanced at his brother, slightly relieved to see that Sirius was also squirming. In fact, his brother looked downright miserable. He saw that Regulus was staring and offered a reassuring smile.

The smile didn't ease Regulus' discomfort. It didn't help that he was sitting in a tall chair with a hard back. Aunt Druella had placed a stack of newspapers on the chair so that he could reach the table. They chafed his bottom and cut at the backs of his legs.

He glanced at his cousins. They were all wearing dresses that looked as uncomfortable as his suit, yet neither one was complaining. Bellatrix, the oldest, was thirteen. She was certainly too old and too proper to complain. Yet she was still young enough to try and kick Sirius beneath the table. She had been doing so for the past five minutes, much to Sirius' annoyance. Regulus thought about saying something but he decided against it. Narcissa and Andromeda knew what Bellatrix was doing and they hadn't said anything either. Andromeda, who was only two years Bellatrix's junior, looked like she _wanted_ to. She kept biting her lip every time Bellatrix kicked. Still, she kept quiet, so Regulus did as well. Narcissa was focusing on a strand of hair as she wrapped it around her finger. To the nine-year old, it was the most fascinating thing in the world.

Regulus suddenly realized something: his cousins all had different hair. Bellatrix's was jet-black and curly, Andromeda's was brown and bushy, and Narcissa's was blonde and thin.

"What's so funny, Reggie?" Bellatrix asked.

Regulus blinked. He hadn't been laughing. Smiling, maybe, but not laughing. He now scowled at the nickname and poked at the piece of gray meat that was supposedly ham.

"Reggie?"

"Nothing," Regulus mumbled.

"You were staring at us."

"Sorry."

His brother abruptly spoke up, "Why are you calling him that?"

All eyes turned to him and his ears turned bright red.

"What?" Bellatrix clipped.

"Why are you calling him Reggie?" Sirius mumbled, "There's no 'J' in his name."

"It's a nickname," Bellatrix replied.

"But it doesn't make sense," Sirius argued, "His name is R-E-G-U-"

"Then what do you call him?"

Regulus and Sirius both gave a start at Bellatrix's cold interruption.

"Reg," Sirius mumbled, "Like 'leg' but…Reg."

He broke off and poked at his potatoes.

Regulus personally preferred Sirius' nickname. He kept his mouth shut, however, and moved the food around his plate.

"Well," Orion spoke up, "It's been a while since we've all been together on Easter."

Uncle Cygnus nodded and agreed, "Between Narcissa getting lice last year, Regulus getting an ear-infection the year before—"

Regulus didn't remember that. He supposed that he had been too young.

"—and then our trip to Spain the year before that."

"Oh, I remember our trip to Spain," Andromeda excitedly said, "We got to visit the palaces and cathedrals. I still have the pictures."

"Will you show me?" Sirius eagerly asked.

"Of course," Andromeda cried, "They're in my hope chest."

"Andromeda, mind your place," Aunt Druella snapped, "Your father and Uncle Orion aren't finished talking."

She flushed and lowered her gaze.

"The same goes for you," Walburga chastised.

Sirius sighed and muttered, "Yes, Mother."

"Thank you," Uncle Cygnus said before loudly continuing, "But even though the Black family hasn't always been together physically, we've still been together."

"And we shall remain together for years to come," Orion added.

Uncle Cygnus raised his glass and boomed, "Toujours pur!"

Regulus' cousins abruptly cheered. He was quite startled and looked to Sirius for help. His brother looked as puzzled at he was. Regulus meekly clapped and Sirius copied the motion.

"Mother," Narcissa politely spoke up, "May we be excused?"

"You haven't eaten your vegetables," Aunt Druella sighed, "Oh…fine!"

"May I?" Bellatrix asked.

She had eaten everything on her plate and had set her napkin in the middle.

"You may."

"May I?" Andromeda eagerly asked.

"No. Finish your peas."

"May I be excused?" Regulus anxiously cried.

His mother eyed his plate, still filled with food, before saying, "I suppose."

"May I?" Sirius pleaded.

"Not until you finish your vegetables," Orion scolded.

Sirius threw his hands into the air and their mother furiously cried, "You watch your manners, young man! You and your cousin will sit here until your plates are clean."

Aunt Druella nodded, agreeing with her sister-in-law.

Regulus sadly glanced at his brother. Sirius had pursed his lips, a clear sign that he was angry. Regulus didn't think that it was fair. He had been given permission to leave, even though he had more food on his plate than his brother.

"Reggie," Bellatrix spoke up, "Come and play with us."

Regulus sighed and followed them.

"Come into my bedroom," Bellatrix ordered, "I want to show you something."

Regulus and Narcissa obeyed. Regulus looked around and realized that his cousin didn't have any toys lying around her bedroom. She had a large bed and a vanity that was hidden behind piles of makeup. She also had a desk and a wardrobe. A trunk sat next to it.

"I have to go back to Hogwarts tomorrow," Bellatrix bragged, "So does Andy."

"What's Hogwarts like?" Regulus eagerly asked.

"It's alright," Bellatrix sniffed, "Those damn Gryffindors are always poking their noses where they don't belong. What?"

Regulus' jaw had dropped open.

"You swore," Regulus whispered.

"Are you going to tell on me?" Bellatrix asked with a smirk.

Regulus flushed.

"Alright then," Bellatrix coolly said, "Do you want to see something cool?"

He hesitated and eventually nodded.

"It's in the back of my wardrobe," Bellatrix whispered, "Take a look."

Regulus apprehensively stared at the wardrobe. It had been painted recently. The doors were bright red.

"Well?" Bellatrix exclaimed, "Do you want to see it?"

"I suppose," Regulus squeaked.

"Bellatrix," Narcissa uncertainly spoke up.

"Hush, you," Bellatrix snapped, "Go on, Reggie."

Regulus' feet slid forward. He nervously opened the wardrobe. It was empty, save for a few robes that were on the hangers.

"I can't see anything," Regulus pointed out.

"It's in the _back_," Bellatrix explained.

Regulus climbed into the wardrobe and looked around. It was quite dusty and he sneezed.

He still couldn't see anything.

All at once, the door swung closed and he was plunged into darkness.

He spun around and cried out. He pushed against the door but it didn't budge.

"Hey," Regulus frantically cried, "Let me out!"

He threw himself against the door but it refused to open.

"Bellatrix!" Regulus wailed, "Let me out!"

He could hear cackling.

Somebody whispered Bellatrix's name.

"Hush!"

"BELLATRIX!" Regulus frantically shrieked, "LET ME OUT!"

He couldn't see. The dust tingled his nose and the robes brushed against his face. His hands balled into fists and he began to beat against the door. Tears streamed down his cheeks. He felt something warm and hot trickle down the leg of his trousers. He was too scared to be embarrassed. He was trapped. Trapped! He let out a small moan as he tried to break free.

"What's going on?"

That was Andromeda's voice.

"Reg? REG?"

Sirius.

"SIRIUS, HELP!" Regulus bawled, "HELP ME! HELP ME!"

"Bellatrix, let him out!" Sirius exclaimed, "NOW!"

"The door's stuck," Bellatrix taunted.

"SIRIUS!" Regulus shrieked, "SIRIUS!"

"I'M HERE, REG!"

From the sounds of it, Sirius was just on the other side of the door.

"HELP ME," Regulus screamed, "PLEASE!"

Sirius would help him. Sirius would know what to do.

"Bella, where's the key?" Andromeda demanded, "Where is it?"

"I don't know," Bellatrix innocently said.

Regulus' chest felt tight. He gasped for breath and his tears escalated. He couldn't breathe! He was going to die!

"I'm getting Mother and Father," Andromeda cried.

Regulus heard her run away.

He helplessly rested his forehead against the door and whispered, "Sirius?"

"I'm here, Reg," Sirius whispered, "I'm right here."

And though Regulus didn't know it, Sirius had also rested his forehead against the door.

"Cissy, stop!" Narcissa spoke up, "This isn't funny anymore."

Regulus jerked back and screeched, "FUNNY?"

"THIS ISN'T A GAME, BELLATRIX!" Sirius roared, "LET HIM OUT!"

"LET ME OUT!" Regulus repeated, "NOW!"

He was shaking with fury and fear. He slammed the palms of his hands against the door and felt something strange, as though he had been shocked. The doors unexpectedly flew open and he toppled forward as his brother fell. He heard the sounds of running footsteps and his parents were suddenly in the doorway with his aunt, uncle, and cousin.

"WHAT HAPPENED?" Walburga screamed.

"It was Sirius!" Bellatrix gasped, "He locked Regulus in the wardrobe."

"I did not!" Sirius shrieked, "Regulus, tell her…"

But Regulus couldn't say anything. His entire body shook with sobs. He was aware that his mother was screaming and that his father was assuring Sirius that he would be wishing that he had never been born. Regulus didn't understand; couldn't understand. His brother expectantly stared at him but Regulus couldn't answer. He thought that he briefly saw disappointment in Sirius' eyes but it was short-lived. Sirius sadly sighed and crawled over to him, resting his forehead against his. Regulus swallowed and reminded himself that everything was okay. He was no longer trapped. Sirius was there. He was going to be okay.

Author's Note: Well, you know what they say: kids will be…sociopathic monsters who lock their cousins in wardrobes for the enjoyment.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Sirius was grounded for a week. As he spent his days lying on the massive bed, he realized that he hated his cousins. It was hard for a five-year old to hate anyone. Then again, he was old enough to tell that his cousins were truly horrid. Well…Sirius reluctantly supposed that Andromeda was alright. She wasn't ever mean to him. She had also been the one to get their parents when Regulus had been trapped. Then again, she hadn't spoken up when Bellatrix had blamed Sirius. Bellatrix. Sirius truly hated her. For as long as he could remember—which, granted, wasn't very long—she had always been nasty. Sirius liked to pull pranks but Bellatrix was different. Her pranks hurt. And they often led to trouble.

Sirius realized that the one good thing about the wardrobe incident was that they probably wouldn't be visiting Aunt Druella and Uncle Cygnus for a while. He was wrong. Several weeks later, Walburga informed Sirius that he and Regulus would be going for a sleepover.

"But I don't want to!" Sirius immediately whined.

"Hush," Walburga snapped, "You're going. And you'll be on your best behavior."

Sirius heavily sighed and murmured, "Yes, Mother."

"Go pack," Walburga instructed, "And don't forget anything."

Sirius forgot his underwear, socks, pajamas, and toothbrush. It didn't matter. They wouldn't make it to the end of the night. They wouldn't even make it to dinner.

He dragged his bag into the corridor. Regulus was sitting on top of his own bag.

"Did you pack?" Sirius asked, slightly impressed.

"No," Regulus guiltily admitted, "Kreacher did."

Sirius blinked before murmuring, "Wish I'd thought of that."

Regulus didn't laugh. He was worriedly wringing his hands.

"What's wrong?" Sirius asked.

"I'm scared," Regulus whispered.

"Of what?"

Regulus swallowed and murmured, "The wardrobe."

"Don't worry," Sirius assuredly said, "You won't have to go in there."

Regulus didn't look too reassured.

"We'll play outside," Sirius continued, "They have a small garden."

It was a hot day in the middle of August and Sirius was anxious to get out. His brother finally looked relieved. The two staggered downstairs with their bags thumping behind them.

"Ready?" Orion boomed.

"No," Sirius muttered.

Fortunately, their father wasn't listening. He extended his arm and demanded that they take it. They apprehensively did so and Apparated from their foyer to the foyer of their aunt and uncle's home. Sirius gave his brother a kind smile, despite the fact that he was inwardly groaning. It was going to be a long weekend.

After a rather awkward welcome, which involved Regulus ducking behind him as they spotted their cousins, the children finally made their way into the garden. All except Bellatrix, who was recovering from scrofungulus. Sirius privately was glad that she was stuck in the house.

He picked up a twig and thoughtfully twirled it around, as if it was a wand.

Regulus also grabbed a twig and poked Sirius in the arm.

Sirius glanced at him and Regulus boastfully said, "I'll hex you!"

Sirius grinned and cried, "Not if I hex you first."

The two raced each other around, mumbling gibberish and tagging each other.

They eventually collapsed onto the grass, cracking up.

Sirius straightened up as he realized that his cousins had disappeared.

"Up here!" Narcissa called.

She and Andromeda had climbed up a large tree.

"Come on, Reg," Sirius gleefully cried, "Let's join them."

He put his foot on a small knot and climbed onto a branch. Agile and precise, he swiftly made his way up the tree. He could hear Regulus scrambling after him. Sirius finally paused, directly beneath the branch where his cousins were sitting. It was several feet away. They were much larger than him; they had probably reached the branch with little to no effort.

Unfortunately, in order for him to reach it, Sirius would have to jump.

"Sirius," Andromeda uncertainly called, "Be careful!"

Sirius took a deep breath and leapt forward. He caught the branch and gasped as the wind was knocked out of him. He managed to pull himself up, his chest rapidly rising and falling.

"Alright?" Narcissa asked.

"Fine," Sirius wheezed.

He glanced below. Regulus was hanging onto the lower branch like a koala. He finally pulled himself up, looking exhausted.

"Come on!" Sirius excitedly called.

Regulus obediently leapt. Sirius blinked and suddenly Regulus was slipping…falling…screaming…

"REGULUS!"

Sirius watched, numb, as his brother's body hit the ground. Fortunately, he ended up bouncing, like the colorful ball that Uncle Alphard had once given him. He and Regulus had bounced the ball around for hours, giggling as it went up and down. This time, Sirius wasn't giggling. He scrambled down the tree with Andromeda and Narcissa at his heels.

Regulus was sprawled on the ground.

"Reg?" Sirius squeaked, "Are you okay?"

"Regulus," Andromeda urgently asked, "Does anything hurt?"

"Are you alright?" Narcissa demanded.

Sirius' heart thundered as he watched his brother stumble to his feet. Regulus was surprisingly calm. Had Sirius been older, he would have realized that his brother was in shock. And yet, he was only five-years-old…and therefore was quite surprised when Regulus' face became red and pinched. Several tears leaked from his eyes and he abruptly began to cry.

"Oh…" Andromeda gasped.

She was staring at Regulus' hand. He had scraped the palm against a branch. Sirius watched in horror as a small stream of blood trickled towards his fingers.

Regulus also looked at the cut. His eyes became glossy. His mouth hung open and his head bobbed, as if he was trying not to fall asleep.

Sirius reached out and whispered, "Regulus?"

He then screamed as his brother crumpled into a faint.

"MUM!" Andromeda shrieked, "DAD!"

Tears clouded Sirius' vision. He dropped down next to his brother and tightly hugged his limp body. He could hear Regulus' heartbeat. Good. He wasn't…

Sirius didn't even want to think about it. He tightly held onto his brother, his cheeks becoming raw as the tears escalated. What had he done?

oOo

Sirius couldn't stop crying. His entire body shook with sobs. Andromeda had an arm around his shoulders but it did nothing to ease his misery.

The two were sitting on a hard bench in the hospital corridor. The ceiling, walls, and floor were blindingly white. The overhead lights rhythmically buzzed. Healers barked orders and matrons anxiously raced about. Sirius' jaw trembled as he anxiously waited for somebody to talk to him. And yet, nobody gave him a second glance. Andromeda continued her feeble attempt to comfort him. Narcissa was on the floor, nervously biting her nail. Bellatrix had remained at home. Uncle Cyngus and Aunt Druella were with Regulus. Sirius desperately wanted to be with him but the matrons had stated that he wasn't old enough.

"It's alright," Andromeda whispered, "There there."

Sirius continued to weep.

"It's okay, Sirius."

"N…no, it's n…not!" Sirius gasped, "It…it's my f…fault!"

His tears escalated and he buried his face in his hands.

It was his fault. He had told Regulus to jump. His fault. But he didn't know…he didn't know that Regulus was going to fall…it was an accident! Yet, Sirius still felt responsible.

And now, he couldn't even comfort Regulus. He felt so helpless. He wanted to be with his brother. He wanted to comfort him. He wanted to rest his forehead against Regulus' and assure him that everything was going to be alright. He wanted to take the pain away.

"Sirius," Andromeda soothingly whispered, "Please…stop crying."

He couldn't.

"Please," Andromeda repeated, "You have to be brave…be brave for Regulus."

Sirius' chest rose and fell as he gasped for breath. His jaw continued to tremble but he managed to calm himself down. He needed to be brave.

"I know how it feels," Andromeda gently said, "It's hard being the older sibling."

"Isn't Bellatrix older than you?" Sirius asked.

"She is," Andromeda agreed, "But I'm older than Cissy. And when we were younger, she fell out of her high-chair. I was inconsolable."

Narcissa looked up and muttered, "I don't remember that."

"You were too young," Andromeda replied, "Anyway, Sirius…I know how it feels. The worst feeling in the world is when your sibling is hurt and you can't do anything about it."

Sirius nodded in agreement. Then again, maybe he _could_ do something. He wiped his eyes on the back of his arm and leapt to his feet. He spotted a Healer standing next to the water-cooler and remembered what his father always said about money. It could get you anywhere.

Sirius raced over and cried, "Excuse me!"

The Healer gave a start and asked, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Sirius replied, "My brother isn't."

"Ah."

"Can you do me a favor?" Sirius asked, "I don't have a lot of money. I have twenty-two galleons and seven sickles. I also have over fifty chocolate frog cards. Kreacher counted them for me the other day. You can have all of them…err…except Circe. I like her."

The Healer chuckled and said, "Go sit down. Your brother should be fine."

"'_Should_ be'?" Sirius worriedly repeated.

"Go on."

Sirius groaned and muttered, "Fine. I'll give you Circe. Just fix my brother."

"Please, sit down."

Sirius sighed and retreated to the bench. Andromeda patted his arm.

"WHERE'S MY SON?"

His mother stormed up the corridor, practically breathing fire. His father marched after her, looking dangerous. Next to him, Andromeda tensed.

"M…Mother," Sirius croaked, "F…Father…"

And suddenly, he was crying again.

His father grabbed his elbow and pulled him to his feet.

Sirius' tears escalated as Orion growled, "What happened?"

"I…I…I'm sorry," Sirius blubbered, "H…he…f…fell…f…from…a…t…t…tree."

Sirius broke off, frenziedly weeping.

"HE FELL?" Walburga shrieked, "HOW DID HE FALL?"

Sirius was too hysterical to answer.

"Aunt Walburga," Andromeda spoke up, "It was an accident!"

"HOW DID MY SON FALL?"

Sirius weakly stammered. His father was still tightly holding onto his arm.

"It was you," Orion coldly said, "Wasn't it?"

"I…I…I'm…s….s…"

"You caused your brother to fall."

"I…I…I'm sorry," Sirius blubbered, "I'm so sorry!"

His mother's hand abruptly came down and struck his cheek.

"AUNT WALBURGA!" Andromeda shrieked.

Sirius felt as though his legs were made from jelly. He crumpled against the bench, touching his stinging cheek. His tears continued to spill.

"What is going on?"

The Healer was racing towards them.

Sirius' mother drew herself to the fullest height before screaming, "MY NAME IS WALBURGA BLACK AND I DEMAND TO KNOW WHERE MY SON IS!"

Sirius cringed at his mother's harsh tone.

The Healer stopped, caught off guard, before stammering, "Ah…B…Black, Regulus?"

"That is correct," Orion hissed, "Where is he?"

The Healer swallowed and murmured, "I'm afraid that you cannot see him right now. We need to perform further evaluations."

"AND WHO ARE YOU TO REFUSE ME TO SEE MY SON?"

The Healer fumbled and replied, "I am Healer Jones. Your son has some injuries that appear to be unexplained. We are conducting a further investigation."

"Unexplained injuries?" Orion furiously repeated.

Walburga's eyes were blazing green as she shrieked, "Are you insinuating that we are abusing our son?"

"It's just a formality," Healer Jones explained.

"I have never touched my son!" Walburga screeched.

Sirius noticed that the Healer's eyes briefly flickered towards him. A woman had appeared at Healer Jones' side.

She gave Sirius a warm smile and said, "Would you mind coming with me, dear?"

"Who are you?" Sirius whispered.

"My name is Rachel Benson."

"Can you take me to my brother?" Sirius desperately asked.

"Eventually," Mrs. Benson promised, "But first, I want to talk to you."

She held out her hand.

"Sirius," Orion growled, "Don't you dare—"

Sirius hesitated. He really wanted to see his brother. And so, he apprehensively took her hand. She took him down the corridor and they entered a small office.

Sirius looked around, expecting to see Regulus. Unfortunately, the room was empty.

"Sit down, dear."

Sirius sat at one side of the desk and she sat on the other.

"I'm an official from the Ministry for Magic," Mrs. Benson explained, "I just want to ask you a few questions. Is that alright?"

Sirius frowned and mumbled, "I suppose."

He really wanted to see Regulus.

"Just to be clear," Mrs. Benson declared, glancing a chart, "Your name is Sirius Orion Black? Your birthday was just last week—April 22nd? You live at 12 Grimmauld Place?"

Sirius nodded.

"Would you like a drink?" Mrs. Benson cheerfully asked.

Sirius hesitated before whispering, "Do you have any pumpkin juice?"

"Sure!"

She waved her wand and a glass appeared on the desk. After a questioning glance, Sirius picked it up and began to sip.

"How's your cheek, dear?"

"It's okay," Sirius mumbled, reflexively touching it.

"Has your mother ever hurt you before?"

Sirius flushed and stared at the rug. He had certainly been punished before. However, his mother didn't usually prefer physical punishments. She would normally scream at him and send him to his room. That was punishment enough.

Sirius' flush intensified as he remembered her once saying that he should never trust any official from the Ministry. They were all a bunch of traitorous hacks.

"No, ma'am," Sirius replied.

She stared at him for a long minute before saying, "Are you sure, dear?"

"I'm sure," Sirius firmly said, "Can I see my brother?"

"Just a few more questions—"

"I want to see Regulus," Sirius groaned.

He was tired, hungry, scared, and miserable.

"The Healers are finishing their investigation," Mrs. Benson patiently said, "And then you can see him."

Sirius groaned and brought his knees to his chest.

"Just a few more questions, Sirius."

"No."

"Come now, just a few more…"

"No!" Sirius groaned.

He buried his face in his hands and began to cry once more.

"Sirius?"

"I'm not answering any more questions!" Sirius blurted out.

"Do you want some more pumpkin juice?" Mrs. Benson coaxingly asked, "Or perhaps some candy? I have some chocolate frogs in my bag?"

"No," Sirius whined, "I don't want pumpkin juice and I don't want candy and I don't want to answer any more questions!"

"Well then, what _do_ you want?"

Sirius sniffed before whispering, "I want Regulus."

Author's Note: If you've ever had a sibling who was sick or injured, then you know exactly how Sirius feels and how Andromeda felt. It is the worst feeling in the world.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

"I want Sirius!"

Regulus had repeated these three words until his throat ached. He had awoken in a strange room, confused and frightened. He had been propped up in a bed, beneath a scratchy blanket. People in white robes had been racing about, barking orders and strange words.

He had burst into tears and had asked for his brother.

A woman wearing a strange hat had raced over. She had placed a cloth on his head and had kindly explained that he was in Saint Mungo's Hospital For Magical Maladies and Injuries.

He had fainted, apparently, upon seeing blood. It had been his own blood. Regulus had then remembered the fall, his brother's worried look, and the cold ground.

The matron had been replaced by a group of Healers, who had asked him strange and confusing questions. He had tried to answer. Had anybody hurt him? No. How had he gotten that cut? Well, he had fallen from the tree. Where was Sirius? What about that bruise on his arm? What bruise? That one right there. He…he didn't know. What about this one? He had no idea. What about the ones on your legs? He didn't know. Where was Sirius? He wanted Sirius.

He had burst into tears, until the Healers had silenced.

They were now talking amongst themselves.

"I want Sirius," Regulus desperately cried.

One Healer looked up and gently said, "Alright, son, alright."

Regulus confusedly blinked. He didn't know why the Healer was agreeing now, as opposed to before. He also didn't know why the Healer thought that he was his son.

"You're not Father," Regulus bewilderedly whispered.

The Healers all chuckled.

The door to the left opened and a woman entered with another Healer. The woman was holding his brother's hand.

"Sirius!" Regulus squealed.

"Reg!"

Sirius wrenched away from the woman and raced over. He then slowed down, looking extremely apprehensive.

He rested his chin against the railing of the bed and whispered, 'Hey."

"Hey," Regulus replied.

"How are you feeling?"

Regulus shrugged.

"Healer Jones said that you were ill," Sirius explained, "But you don't look ill."

"I don't feel ill," Regulus admitted, "My stomach doesn't hurt. I'm not stuffy…"

Healer Jones smiled and gently said, "This is a different type of illness. We'll bring your parents in and explain everything. Don't worry. You're going to be fine."

"Regulus?"

"Where is my son?"

Both brothers tensed as their parents entered the ward with their aunt, uncle, and cousins.

"Mr. and Mrs. Black," Healer Jones quietly said, "On behalf of St. Mungo's, I want to extend a formal apology. I hope you understand that the investigation was simply a formality."

Investigation?

Another Healer added, "We would also like to thank you for your considerable donation to this hospital. It was most generous."

"We simply want to ensure that our son gets the best treatment," Orion explained.

"What's wrong with him?" Walburga barked.

"A further examination has revealed the cause of the bruises," Healer Jones explained, "It seems that young Regulus has haemophilia."

Regulus confusedly blinked. He glanced at his brother but saw that Sirius also looked befuddled. He caught Regulus' eye and shrugged.

"What does that mean?" Regulus whispered.

"It is a rather common genetic disorder," Healer Jones promptly explained, "It impairs the body's ability to control coagulation."

Regulus blankly stared at him.

The Healer smiled before clarifying, "It makes it just a tad bit harder for your blood to clot. That's why you bled for a prolonged period of time after you scraped your hand. It also explains the previously unexplained bruises."

Healer Jones looked up and added, "Haemophilia has been prominent in many European royal families, including many regal wizarding families."

Walburga nodded and boomed, "My father and grandfather both had it."

"Along with my brother and two of my uncles," Orion agreed.

"No serious complications, I presume?" Healer Jones asked.

They shook their heads.

"Very good," Healer Jones exclaimed, "Then it should be quite easy to treat."

"He's going to be okay?" Sirius hopefully asked.

"Provided that he takes the necessary potions," Healer Jones agreed, "Regulus should have a fairly normal life."

"Potions?" Regulus repeated.

He didn't like taking potions. His mother had once given him a very spicy potion when he had had a cold. His nose and ears had smoked for hours.

"A Clotting Potion," Healer Jones explained, holding up a blue vial, "If you take one every single morning, you should be able to carry on without any complications."

Regulus sniffed it and gagged.

He pushed it away and whined, "I don't want to."

"It'll make you feel better," Sirius gently said.

"But it smells gross."

Sirius leaned forward and sniffed before making a face.

"Told you," Regulus muttered.

"Go on," Sirius whispered, "The Healer says that you have to do it."

"But _Sirius_…"

"Do it for me, Reg."

Regulus sighed and nodded.

He took the potion and drank it in one gulp. The fiery liquid burned his throat and he miserably coughed. The taste was revolting.

"Alright?" Sirius squeaked.

"It tastes like…spicy grapes," Regulus grunted.

"Spicy grapes?" Sirius amusedly repeated.

Regulus' head bobbed up and down. He was exhausted.

He hadn't realized that he had spoken aloud until Healer Jones warmly said, "You've had quite a long day. You and your brother both."

The Healer then glanced down at Sirius, who was anxiously squirming.

"You can touch him, you know," Healer Jones chuckled, "It won't hurt him."

Sirius leapt right over the railing of the bed and tightly hugged Regulus. Andromeda and Narcissa also raced forward. Regulus had forgotten that they were there. They happily hugged him until Aunt Druella called them away.

"We're going to keep you overnight for observation," Healer Jones explained, "You should be ready to go home in the morning."

Regulus sleepily nodded.

The Healer pulled his parents aside and quietly talked to them. Regulus couldn't hear what they were saying but he didn't care. His eyelids felt so heavy…

He sleepily blinked and glanced over at Sirius. His brother gave him a kind smile.

Regulus returned it and allowed himself to fall asleep. He knew that Sirius would be there in the morning.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

"Do it again."

Sirius' hand trembled and he nearly dropped his father's wand.

"Go on."

Sirius swished it through the air and cried, "Flipendo!"

A jet of red light burst from the tip. On the other side of the room, Kreacher braced himself. The light hit the house-elf in the chest and knocked him onto his back.

"Excellent," Orion boomed, "Now try the other hex."

Kreacher stood up and Sirius reluctantly cried, "Rictumsempera!"

The house-elf was immediately overcome with a fit of the giggles.

His father nodded and quietly said, "Now, we will work on your defenses."

Sirius sighed. They had been doing this for over an hour. He almost wished that he hadn't caused that fire to burn a few months ago. His father had been dragging him into the drawing room for weeks, teaching him various spells and demanding that he performed them.

He braced himself as Kreacher straightened up and snapped his fingers.

He brought the wand down and roared, "PROTEGO!"

A small shield appeared between the two of them, rebounding the yellow light. Kreacher dove out of the way and the spell hit the wall.

"That's enough!"

Sirius gratefully sighed as his mother entered the room.

"Regulus is sleeping," Walburga pointed out, "He needs his rest."

Sirius resisted a groan. Ever since they had gotten home from the hospital, Regulus had been forced into taking a nap twice a day. He often whined and protested. Oftentimes, Sirius saw his mother give him a dose of that potion that smelled like lavender. Sirius personally didn't think that it was fair. He wanted to play with his brother. But every time he tried, his mother shrieked that he was going to hurt him. Regulus was taking the Clotting Potions every morning after breakfast. Healer Jones had said that Regulus could have a normal life. Yet his parents were treating him like one of their fragile vases.

"Sirius," Walburga sweetly said, "I need to talk to you."

Sirius was thrown off by her charisma.

"Your father and I are going on a business trip," Walburga declared.

Sirius confusedly blinked. His parents didn't work. They were too wealthy to work like commoners. His father often said so. He now repeated these words to his mother.

"Sirius," Walburga sighed, rubbing her temple, "Please. I have a headache. I really don't want to listen to any of your cheek right now."

Sirius shamefacedly apologized.

"Aunt Druella and Uncle Cyngus are in Peru," Walburga continued, "And Uncle Alphard has a case of dragon-pox. Now, Sirius, you're old enough to stay here and keep an eye on your brother, aren't you?"

He didn't think so. He was intelligent for a five-year old but certainly not mature. His mother seemed to think otherwise because she continued, "Of course you are. We'll only be gone for a few hours. And Kreacher will be here. He will make your lunch and your supper."

He still had doubts but he knew that it was best not to argue. His head bobbed up and down and he monotonically mumbled, "Yes, Mother. Where are you going?"

"Don't you listen to your mother?" Orion crossly asked, "We're going to a busi—"

"Business meeting, I know," Sirius interrupted, "I meant _where_? Where's the meeting?"

"A place up in Ireland," Walburga explained, "A little cave with a waterfall."

Sirius frowned.

What a strange place for a meeting.

"A waterfall?"

Sirius smiled as Regulus came into the room, his eyes still cloudy from his nap. He rubbed them and excitedly said, "I want to go!"

"No!" Orion cried, "You will not be going."

"But Father," Regulus whined.

Their mother glanced at a clock and cried, "You still have fifteen minutes of your nap left. March straight back to your room. Now!"

"But I want to see a waterfall," Regulus argued.

"We've never seen one before," Sirius excitedly added, "It'll be fun."

"We'll be good," Regulus promised.

"You won't even notice us," Sirius finished.

"Our answer is non-negotiable," Orion declared, "You will not be going."

Both boys sadly sighed.

"It's not that spectacular," Walburga pointed out, "If you want to watch falling water, you can take a shower. Regulus. Bed. Now."

Sirius watched as his brother miserably trudged off to his bedroom. He followed his parents down to the foyer where Kreacher was waiting with a briefcase. Orion took it with one hand and folded his other hand around his wife's elbow. He sighed and went up to his brother's room. Regulus was snuggled beneath the blankets, miserably pouting.

"Cheer up," Sirius bracingly said.

"But Sirius…"

"I know."

"…I wanted to see the waterfall!"

"I know, Reg!" Sirius cried, "I wanted to see it, too!"

"But I really _really_ _**really**_ wanted to see it!"

"Really?" Sirius teased.

"Yes!"

Sirius laughed at his brother's sulkiness. It melted into a sympathetic smile as Regulus flopped onto his stomach. Sirius knew how he felt. He wanted to see the waterfall too. He wanted to splash around in the icy water, even if it was the middle of November. He didn't care if they would catch a cold. He just wanted to play with his brother.

Sirius supposed that he could just take a shower.

Or…

"A_ha_!" Sirius abruptly yelled, "That's it!"

Regulus toppled right off of the bed. His eyes flooded with surprised tears.

"Hey, hey," Sirius cried, "Sorry! All right?"

"Fine," Regulus shakily said, "Why did you yell?"

"I have an idea," Sirius remarked, "Come along!"

He grabbed his brother's hand and pulled him into the bathroom. He pulled the handles in the bathtub and the shower began to spray at full force.

"Great," Regulus sighed, "Falling water."

"Give it a minute," Sirius mischievously said, putting the plug in.

Regulus waited for several minutes before his eyes widened. Sirius danced from foot to foot as the water spilled over the side of the tub.

"Sirius, we can't!" Regulus finally whispered.

"You wanted to see a waterfall," Sirius gleefully reminded him.

Regulus stared at the water and grunted, "It's kinda small."

"It'll get bigger," Sirius promised.

"How?" Regulus asked, scratching his head, "Is the tub going to grow?"

"No!" Sirius laughed, "Trust me, Reg! Let's go change."

"Into what?" Regulus curiously asked.

"Our boxers, of course!" Sirius cried, "We don't want to get our clothes wet. My socks are already soaked."

They went into their bedrooms and stripped down to their underwear. By the time they came back out, Sirius' plan was set in motion. Regulus' jaw dropped before his mouth curved into a smirk. He and Sirius glanced at one another before cracking up. The water had spilled into the corridor and was now gushing down the grand staircase. They laughed and plopped onto their bottoms, bumping down the steps and getting soaked. Within a quarter of an hour, a grand pool had formed in the foyer. The two brothers raced up and slid down the stairs. They splashed and dunked one another in the foyer.

At one point, Kreacher entered and shrieked with surprise.

"Hi, Kreacher!" Regulus happily said, "Look! It's a waterfall!"

"Young Masters have flooded the house!" Kreacher screeched, "Master and Mistress will be most displeased! You must stop this at once!"

"Or what?" Sirius haughtily asked.

He splashed the house-elf, who ruffled his ears in displeasure.

"I will tell Master and Mistress Black," Kreacher threatened.

"Oh, please, don't!" Regulus begged, "Please, Kreacher!"

"Young Master Regulus should be sleeping!" Kreacher pressingly said, "Young Master Black is going to get hurt!"

"I'll be fine," Regulus sweetly remarked, "Please, Kreacher?"

The house-elf shook his head and growled, "Mistress Black ordered me to tell her if you two misbehaved! I must! I must tell her!"

The brothers glanced at each other.

"Well," Sirius slowly said, "What if we order you to not tell her?"

Kreacher blinked.

"Can we do that?" Regulus asked.

"I have no idea," Sirius muttered, "Err…Kreacher…can we do that?"

"Kreacher lives to serve the Young Masters," Kreacher admitted, "Kreacher will do whatever the Young Masters say."

"Anything we say?" Sirius eagerly repeated.

The house-elf nodded.

"Alright then."

Sirius drew himself to the fullest height and cried, "Kreacher, I order you to not snitch on us. And…err…bring us some ice-cream."

"Please," Regulus added.

"What kind of ice-cream, Young Masters?"

Sirius thought about it for a moment before crying, "Chocolate!"

"Yes, chocolate!"

"Twenty scoops of chocolate!"

"With whipped cream!"

"And sprinkles!"

"And chocolate chips!"

"And hot sauce!"

"Please?"

"Yeah, please."

Within minutes, the boys were holding their towering sundaes, complete with twenty scoops of chocolate, whipped cream, sprinkles, chocolate chips, and hot sauce. They sat on the steps as the water pounded on their backs. They happily ate away.

"Thanks, Kreacher," Regulus appreciatively said.

"'Ganks," Sirius agreed, his mouth filled with ice-cream.

At that moment, the door opened.

Orion and Walburga shrieked as the water crashed into their legs. Walburga clung onto her husband for support. Orion had to stumble and grab the doorway to keep from falling.

Sirius and Regulus both giggled. The smiles were quickly wiped away as their mother's eyes turned vibrantly green.

Sirius was grounded until Christmas. His brother was grounded for a week for going along with his plan. It seemed that their parents were more furious that Regulus' health had been at stake than the fact that their house was flooded. They harshly lectured Sirius before ordering him to his room and ordering Regulus to take another nap.

Sirius didn't mind. It had been worth it.

He jumped onto the bed, occasionally giggling at the events.

Eventually, his stomach growled and he cried, "Kreacher!"

The house-elf obediently appeared. Sirius was shocked to see that his arms were bandaged and his eyes were bloodshot.

"Err…are you okay?" Sirius asked.

"Of course, Young Master," Kreacher cried, "What do you need?"

"I…erm…I order you to make me a pizza," Sirius exclaimed, "With extra cheese and pepperoni and bacon and ham. Please?"

"Right away, Young Master Black."

"Make Regulus one too," Sirius added, "He likes veggies on his."

"Of course, Young Master."

"Thanks," Sirius absentmindedly said.

"There is no need to thank me, sir," Kreacher replied, gracefully bowing, "Kreacher lives to serve the House of Black."

He disappeared and Sirius happily settled against his pillows. Being grounded wasn't going to be that bad after all. Besides, it had definitely been worth it.

Author's Note: Poor Kreacher. I have no doubt that he was punished by Orion and Walburga, even though he was simply following orders.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Regulus couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw malicious faces. They were grinning, even if their eyes were blank and saw right through him.

The youngest Black squeezed his stuffed puffskein. He was four-years-old; almost five! He shouldn't be afraid of the monsters in the dark. Sirius wouldn't be afraid. Then again, Sirius was the bravest person in the world. He wasn't afraid of anything. Regulus miserably rubbed his eye. He wasn't cold and yet he found himself trembling beneath his blanket.

"Stop it," Regulus whispered, "They can't get you."

Nevertheless, he pulled his blanket right up over his head. He snuggled down into the makeshift cocoon until his knees were touching his chest. But lying in the cocoon left him in the dark. Regulus nervously swallowed. He could turn on his lamp but that would mean leaving the safety of the cocoon. He couldn't win.

He hesitated before choosing light. He slowly brought the blanket down. His eyes shifted around, alert to catch a moving shadow or a funny shape or…a…face…

Regulus opened his mouth but his gasp was caught in his throat. One of the faces had found him! He could see the eyes in the corner. They were staring right at him. But that wasn't right…the other faces didn't look at him. They always looked straight ahead.

The eyes blinked.

Regulus finally managed to break his stunned silence. His shriek pierced the night as he dove towards his lamp. He was too hasty and ended up knocking it to the ground. It shattered with a terrific noise that was only drowned out by his scream.

He desperately covered his eyes and screeched, "GO AWAY!"

"Of course, Master Black! Kreacher is sorry!"

The door burst open and Regulus peeked through his fingers. Light poured in from the corridor and he realized that the face had belonged to Kreacher. Too late. His house-elf disappeared, just as Sirius frantically raced in.

"Regulus, what's wrong!?"

Regulus' chest rapidly rose and fell. He gasped for breath and tried to stammer an explanation. Sirius leapt right onto his bed, looking alarmed.

Regulus finally managed to croak, "K…K…Kr…Kreacher."

"What about him?"

Regulus swallowed and murmured, "I di…didn't know that it was h…him."

"Well, who did you think it was?"

"One of the f…faces," Regulus softly admitted, "You know…"

His brother's brow furrowed and Regulus realized that he _didn't_ know.

"The…the heads," Regulus clarified, "On the w…wall…next to the stairs."

Sirius blinked before suddenly understanding, "The house-elf heads?"

"Yeah."

Regulus hung his head, utterly ashamed. His cheeks felt as though they were on fire.

Then…

"Yeah, they're pretty scary."

Regulus' head shot up so quickly that his neck ached.

"What?" Sirius asked.

"You're scared of them?" Regulus whispered.

"Sometimes," Sirius admitted.

"But…you never get scared of anything!"

Sirius grinned and gently said, "Just remember, Reg, they're not real."

"But Mother said that they were," Regulus pointed out, "She said that they were the previous house-elves…but…they got old…"

"And now they're dead," Sirius cheerfully interjected.

Regulus' eyes stung at the harsh statement.

His brother looked apologetic, "I mean…they're not going to hurt us."

"How do you know?" Regulus countered, "What if they're still alive?"

"How would they still be alive?"

"Magic," Regulus simply replied.

His brother sat back, looking stumped. Clearly, he hadn't thought of that.

"What if they're only pretending to be still?" Regulus whispered.

Sirius thoughtfully stared at the ceiling, thinking…

Regulus watched him, hoping that he could come up with a solution. He always did.

And this time was no exception.

Sirius grinned as he asked, "What would you do if I hit you?"

"What?" Regulus gasped, "You w…"

"I won't," Sirius hastily added, "Of course, I won't. But, what would you do?"

"I'd…move," Regulus whispered, realizing exactly what his brother was getting at.

"Exactly," Sirius agreed, "So, if we hit one…and it doesn't move…then it's not real."

Regulus nodded. He might have only been four, he might have been completely exhausted, but his brother's plan seemed ingenious.

As long as…

"I can hit it," Sirius gently added.

Regulus let out a sigh of relief.

A horrible thought occurred to him and he whispered, "But what if it _does_ move?"

"It won't," Sirius promised, "I'm telling you…they aren't real."

"Okay," Regulus said.

His still trembled as he followed his brother into the corridor. His knees felt like jelly. He had to cling to the railing as they descended the stairs, afraid that he would otherwise fall. The house-elf heads seemed even more menacing in the dark.

He heard his brother swallow and his heart thundered.

"See?" Sirius whispered, "They're not moving."

"'Cause we're looking at them," Regulus replied.

"Alright," Sirius sighed, "Stay behind me."

Regulus wasn't planning on going anywhere else.

Sirius crept forward until he was standing right beneath one of the heads.

He took a deep breath before bravely leaping up and slapping it.

The motion caused one of the nails to give and the mounted head tipped towards them.

Two shrieks echoed through 12 Grimmauld Place as the boys raced back to Regulus' bedroom. Sirius slammed the door and they dove beneath his bed, trembling side-by-side.

"What do we do now?" Regulus moaned.

"We…err…stay under here."

Regulus decided that this was an excellent plan. They would stay under the bed for the rest of their lives. Or at least until breakfast. Whichever came first.


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews so far!

Chapter Eleven

"We're going to play a game."

Sirius frowned at his father's callous tone.

He glanced at his brother, noting that Regulus also looked apprehensive.

"Alright," Sirius replied, "Err…what is it?"

"Come with me."

The brothers curiously followed Orion up to the attic. Their father flicked his wand and the dusty boxes parted, leaving a good amount of space.

"What's the game, Father?" Regulus curiously asked.

"You two are going to duel," Orion coldly explained, "Your mother has graciously given me her wand for the time being. One of you can have hers. The other one can have mine."

Sirius felt his blood turn to ice.

He swallowed and whispered, "You want me to duel my brother?"

"I want you to do what is necessary."

Sirius' eyes widened as he realized that his father was serious.

"N…no," Sirius whispered, "I can't."

"Father," Regulus croaked, but he wasn't brave enough to say anything else.

Orion lifted his wand again. The brothers grimaced at the smell of scorching wood. Sirius glanced down and saw that their father was burning a line into the floor. He swallowed and wrinkled his nose as smoke rose from it.

"What if I don't want to play this game?" Sirius quietly asked.

"It is involuntary," Orion remarked, "As it is necessary."

"Necessary?" Sirius repeated, "How is dueling my brother necessary?"

"Don't talk back!"

"I was just asking a question," Sirius cried, "I don't want to do this!"

"Neither do I," Regulus agreed.

Orion's eyes blazed as he growled, "You would rather be weak and defenseless? You won't get anywhere by being weak! You need to learn how to fight!"

"But I don't want to fight!" Sirius protested.

"Then you will die!" Orion roared, "The only way you can possibly survive in this world is by learning to fight! Because there are people who will want to fight you! And they will! You will need to fight back! You will need to win! You will need to be the superior one! Or else they will kill you and everyone that you love!"

Sirius glanced at Regulus and swallowed.

"You will take my wand," Orion commanded, "Regulus, you can have your mother's."

Sirius took the wand with a shaky hand.

"Now," Orion quietly explained, "You will each go onto one side of the line. Passing the line will be met with retribution. Is that understood?"

Sirius hated himself as he chose his side. His brother swallowed and crossed over to the other side. Sirius realized that Regulus was covered in a cold sweat. He was scared.

Regulus caught his eye and mouthed, 'I'll hex you.'

Sirius was confused for a moment before understanding. Regulus had said the same thing almost a year ago, when they were happily playing in their aunt and uncle's backyard.

Sirius swallowed and mouthed back, 'Not if I hex you first.'

He was bluffing, of course. He wouldn't hex his brother; he couldn't.

He felt his heart quicken as he thought of an idea. It was a risky idea…there was a good chance that it would hurt his brother. But it was their best shot.

"Walk towards each other," Orion ordered, "And bow."

The two brothers nervously obliged.

As Sirius brought his nose towards the floor, he whispered, "Do Protego."

Regulus jerked his head, letting Sirius know that he understood.

The two stood up and, upon their father's command, returned to their places.

"One…two…three!"

Both brothers raised their wands.

"Stupefy!" Sirius shakily cried.

"Protego!" Regulus roared.

Sirius nearly sighed with relief as he watched the red jet of light rebound against the silvery shield and zoom back towards him. Then, he knew no more…

oOo

"Sirius!"

Sirius groaned. His head was killing him. For a split second, he could feel his own heartbeat. He could also feel the splintery wood beneath his back. Of course! He was lying on the attic floor. He had been dueling with Regulus.

He opened his eyes and his brother's face swam into view. Regulus looked terrified.

"I'm alright," Sirius wheezed, "I'm okay, Reg."

His brother extended his hand and Sirius gratefully took it.

He scrambled to his feet and wearily asked, "Where's Father?"

"He went downstairs," Regulus muttered.

Sirius felt his stomach twinge. He had been unconscious and his father hadn't cared.

"He…he was so proud," Regulus whispered, "He kept saying that I was the…may…err…fee."

"The what?" Sirius retorted.

"I dunno," Regulus sighed, "That's just what it sounded like. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Sirius whispered, "I'm fine."

He swallowed before quietly saying, "Listen, Reg…I have no doubt that Father will make us duel again. This will work out. I'll say a spell and you can use the shield."

Regulus frowned and cried, "But…Sirius…you'll get hurt."

"It's alright," Sirius assuredly said, "Really."

Regulus sniffed and sadly said, "I don't want to hurt you, Sirius."

"Well, I _can't_ hurt you," Sirius replied, "I can't."

Regulus sighed and muttered, "Are you sure?"

Sirius nodded before jerking his head towards the door. Regulus casted a fearful glance towards the makeshift dueling arena before abruptly racing down the stairs. Sirius didn't like the arena any more than his brother did. He didn't like the thought of dueling Regulus. And he certainly didn't like the fact that he was going to be taking a bunch of hexes.

And yet, Sirius knew that would take a hex for Regulus any day.

That's what older brothers did.

Author's Note: I imagine that Orion proudly declared that Regulus was the 'meilleur fils'—which is French for 'best son'.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

"Sirius! Help me!"

Regulus frantically called his brother's name as he hopped around the room. He lost his balance and fell to the floor. His hands were tied, rendering him incapable of catching himself.

For a moment, he helplessly flopped around.

The door flew open and his brother entered. Any concern or alarm quickly left Sirius' face and it became quite obvious that he was trying not to laugh.

"Not one word," Regulus murmured.

"I didn't say anything," Sirius remarked, his mouth curving into a smirk.

He helped Regulus to his feet and continued, "I like it. You could start a new trend."

Regulus glared at him before glancing down. He had been trying to tie his tie. Something had gone horribly wrong and his hands had ended up tangled in the silky fabric.

"Just help me," Regulus begged, "Please!"

Sirius went to undo the knots and Regulus squirmed.

"Hold still!" Sirius laughed.

"It tickles!"

Regulus was finally able to break his hands free. Sirius unraveled the rest of the knots before properly tying it and stuffing it beneath Regulus' dress robes. He and Sirius had gotten the robes for Christmas. They were still itchy but they weren't as bad as the horrid suits.

"I feel like a king," Regulus declared, moving his arms and watching his sleeves sway.

"So do I," Sirius admitted, "Alright…I think it's starting…"

Regulus happily followed his brother. Their mother was going to be proud of them. Sirius had overheard their parents talking about hosting a party tonight. They had gotten dressed without their mother having to tell them to do so.

They entered the large drawing room. Sure enough, it was filled with elegantly-dressed people. They were loudly talking and clinking wine glasses. The liquid sloshed onto the rug and was immediately cleaned up by Kreacher, who was busily bustling about.

"Hi, Kreacher!" Regulus cried.

"What are Young Master Blacks doing here?" Kreacher asked, "Mistress Black asked you to go play in your rooms."

"We know," Sirius declared, "We thought that we'd surprise her."

"Surprise, indeed," Kreacher huffed, "This is no place for children."

But Sirius was already pulling Regulus along.

Regulus glanced around, listening in on the various conversations.

"They're the scums of the earth."

"Did you hear that the Malfoys had to put extra security on their manor? Some cheeky neighbors were sticking their muddy noses in where they didn't belong."

"They want to see magic, eh? We ought to show them magic."

"And force their families to watch."

"That'll shut 'em up."

"I'd do it myself but I've got three Ministry officials up my arse."

Regulus crept closer to Sirius and his brother put his hand on his shoulder.

"Sirius? Regulus?"

Regulus brightened as they spotted a familiar face. Uncle Alphard was walking towards them. Regulus liked Uncle Alphard. His hair was white and wispy and he had tiny glasses that sat on the end of his nose.

"What are you doing here?" Uncle Alphard exclaimed, "Surely your mother didn't force you to come to a boring party?"

"We wanted to surprise her," Sirius repeated.

"All the same," Uncle Alphard cried, "I wouldn't attend a party if I didn't have to."

Sirius tilted his head and amusedly asked, "Are you being forced to be here, Uncle?"

"In a manner of speaking," Uncle Alphard laughed.

Something caught Regulus' eye and he gasped, "Sirius, look!"

Sirius turned and brightened.

Their parents had set up a large buffet. In the center was a large fountain. Two crystal statues of a wizard and witch were putting their wands together. An orange liquid was gushing from the wands and falling into the bowl.

"Pumpkin juice," Sirius excitedly whispered.

"Come on!" Regulus squealed.

The two raced over, dismayed to see that the table was too high. They glanced at each other and smirked. Sirius knelt down and Regulus carefully climbed onto his back.

"SIRIUS, REGULUS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Regulus stumbled backwards and grabbed onto the statue for support. Sirius ducked as it crashed to the ground. Regulus still ended up falling, narrowly missing the shards of glass.

"Alright?" Sirius asked.

"Fine," Regulus replied, "You."

"Yep."

The two brothers helped each other up, just as their mother stormed over.

"What are you doing here?" Walburga shouted, "I told you to stay in your rooms!"

"We thought…that we'd surprise you?" Sirius lamely explained.

"Surprise," Regulus added.

Hi brother smirked.

"That's enough!"

Walburga grabbed Sirius' wrist.

She abruptly leapt back with an anguished scream. Her eyes widened and she stared at her hand as if she had been burned.

"I…I'm sorry!" Sirius spluttered.

Regulus realized that his brother looked genuinely terrified. Strands of his hair were also sticking up at odd angles, as though they were tied to a piece of string and were being lifted up.

"What did you to me?" Walburga shrieked, "You little brat…"

"I didn't mean…" Sirius desperately began.

"Get out! GET OUT!"

Regulus flinched at their mother's voice shook the walls.

"I'll take them."

He sighed with relief as Uncle Alphard pushed through the crowd. He gently took Regulus' hand and went to reach for Sirius. He then paused and merely motioned for him to follow. Regulus glanced over his shoulder as he was dragged along. Sirius was miserably trudging after them, looking confused and afraid.

They went up to Sirius' bedroom and Uncle Alphard closed the door. Regulus carefully eyed his brother. Sirius was holding his hands close to him, refusing to touch anything.

"It's alright, Sirius," Uncle Alphard said, "You're okay."

"I swear," Sirius whispered, "I didn't mean to…"

"I know," Uncle Alphard assuredly replied, "It wasn't your fault. You merely released a defensive charge. It was utterly reflexive."

"Defensive charge?" Regulus repeated.

"Every witch and wizard has a current of energy running through them," Uncle Alphard explained, "This energy is at our very core. Oftentimes, this energy is unnoticed by wizards and witches. It is as ordinary as your breathing and heartbeat. However, when we feel threatened, this current may become stronger, until you unknowingly create a defensive charge."

Regulus confusedly blinked. From the looks of it, his brother didn't understand either.

"So," Sirius slowly said, "I shocked Mother."

"Unintentionally," Uncle Alphard softly said, "But, yes."

Regulus cautiously reached out and held his hand next to his brother's arm. He could feel the static current coming off of his brother. It reminded Regulus of a balloon that he had received for his birthday. He and Sirius had rubbed it against their skin, clothes, and hair. They had giggled for hours at the weird sensation.

Unfortunately, Sirius was currently not giggling. He looked utterly miserable.

He swallowed and whispered, "So…this energy just runs through your body at random?"

"Sometimes," Uncle Alphard remarked, "However, it can also be channeled. When channeled through a wand, this energy is what provides the power behind your magic."

"But I don't have a wand," Sirius pointed out.

"No, you don't," Uncle Alphard agreed, "However, you may not need one. There are little tricks to help channel your energy and even let go of it. This can help reduce your stress and anxiety and can prevent any nasty accidents."

"How?" Sirius eagerly asked.

"Some wizards and witches can create an energy ball between their hands," Uncle Alphard explained, "They can pour all of their energy into this ball and let it go."

Regulus straightened up as Uncle Alphard held his hands out and clenched his fingers.

Both brother watched, amazed, as a small ball of light appeared between his hands. It was bright green. It crackled and swirled around. Uncle Alphard took a deep breath and the light began to grow, until it was slightly larger than an egg. He deeply breathed and the ball of energy began to fizzle out until he brought his hands together.

"Can you teach me?" Sirius eagerly asked, "Please?"

"Of course," Uncle Alphard replied.

"Me too?" Regulus hopefully added.

"Your charge is not yet strong enough," Uncle Alphard apologized, "Perhaps in a few months, Regulus."

Regulus sighed and nodded.

Uncle Alphard instructed Sirius to sit. The two faced each other, crossing their legs.

"Hold out your arms."

Sirius stretched his arms out and Uncle Alphard chuckled, "Bend your elbows."

Sirius adjusted hi pose and Uncle Alphard continued, "Now, clench your fingers and move your hands in a slow, circular, motion."

Sirius began to do so. Regulus held back a snort. It looked peculiar.

"I feel it," Sirius whispered, "I can feel…something…"

"I want you to breathe," Uncle Alphard quietly said, "It's going to take a while."

"Okay."

Regulus excitedly watched but nothing happened. Sirius' chest rose and fell. Regulus' chin eventually found his chest and he dozed off.

Then:

"Regulus, look!"

Regulus jerked awake. Sirius' eyes were illuminated by the ball of golden light in his hands. It wasn't much bigger than a galleon but it was impressive nonetheless. Regulus beamed.

"How does it feel?" Uncle Alphard asked.

"It feels…so warm," Sirius thoughtfully whispered, "Like a small fire."

"And how do you feel?"

Sirius was quiet for a moment before whispering, "Happy!"

Uncle Alphard grinned and cried, "Good! Now…let the energy go…"

"Alright."

"Wai—"

Sirius simply dropped the ball. It crashed against the floor, creating a burn-mark.

Uncle Alphard threw his head back and laughed, "Good! Next time, we'll work on a more harmless way to let it go."

Sirius flushed but Uncle Alphard hastily said, "You still did brilliantly."

"Thanks," Sirius proudly said.

He then doubled over, looking exhausted.

"It can be draining," Uncle Alphard murmured, "But liberating."

"Uncle Alphard," Regulus spoke up, "Why wasn't Mother happy to see us?"

"Well," Uncle Alphard wryly said, "You did break a family heirloom."

Both brother guiltily ducked their heads.

"Should we go apologize?" Sirius asked.

"I wouldn't," Uncle Alphard replied, "My sister often needs time to calm down. Besides, the party really isn't for children. Everyone's just standing around, talking about boring topics."

"Like esterm-nation?" Regulus asked, remembering a word that he had heard.

Uncle Alphard's smile faded and he quietly said, "Yes, like that."

"They were talking about Muggles, weren't they?" Sirius asked.

Uncle Alphard frowned and grunted, "Yes. However, that's nothing that you should concern yourselves with. Like I said, it's not a conversation for children."

"It's alright," Regulus shrugged, "Mother and Father have told us stories for years."

"We know that Muggles are bad," Sirius agreed.

Uncle Alphard was quiet for a moment before saying, "You know, Muggles could say the same of us."

"What?" Sirius cried.

"But we're not bad," Regulus whimpered.

"Every villain is a hero in his own right," Uncle Alphard muttered.

"Huh?"

"Nothing," Uncle Alphard said, "Nothing."

"Alphard? Where did you get off to? ALPHARD?"

"I need to go," Uncle Alphard explained, "Why don't you two stay up here and play? The rest of the party is going to be boring."

"Alright," Sirius sighed.

Uncle Alphard paused at the doorway and lightheartedly added, "But you know…a few balloons can lighten up any party."

He descended the stairs and the brothers stared after him.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Sirius slowly asked.

He crossed over to his bedside table and pulled a bag of balloons from his drawer. Regulus had the same bag in his closet. They were one of many presents from their uncle.

"We'll get in trouble," Regulus pointed out, unable to resist a smirk.

"We're already in trouble," Sirius muttered.

Regulus couldn't argue with that.

"Four should be enough," Sirius decided, "We can carry one with each hand."

He handed Regulus two and cried, "Blow them up and hold onto them. Don't let go."

Regulus did as he was told and Sirius did the same. The two snuck downstairs and waited outside the drawing room door. Regulus continued to tightly hold onto his. He knew that as soon as he let go, the balloon would zoom through the air and blow a raspberry. His other balloon would make a burping noise. Sirius' balloons made strange noises as well. After the noises died down, the balloons would pop and shower the guests with confetti.

"On the count of three," Sirius whispered, "We'll let them go and run."

"Alright."

"One…two…three…"

Author's Note: At least Sirius and Regulus have one family member who isn't completely malevolent. I got the idea of a defensive charge from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, where Vernon goes to choke Harry.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

"Happy Birthday, Sirius."

Sirius' eyes fluttered open. His father was standing in his doorway, offering him a smile.

Sirius sat up, his brows arched in confusion.

"What would you like for breakfast?" Orion gently asked.

"Err…I…I dunno," Sirius spluttered.

What was going on?

Why was his father acting so nice?

In seven years, Sirius had learned to be cautious. There was no telling when his father would give him a quelling look and send him to his room or when his mother's eyes would sharpen and she would roar like a vivacious fire. Sirius was now old enough to realize that his parents enjoyed visiting the apothecary in Diagon Alley and buying various potions to sample. He was also old enough to recognize the smell of firewhisky on his father's breath. Regulus was still too young or perhaps too naïve. Then again, Regulus was hardly yelled at. Their parents had a particular interest in Sirius. Oftentimes, Sirius willingly put himself in the line of fire to spare his brother. His defensive charge helped. He felt the energy rise whenever he was scared or upset. It was his own shield; a way to protect himself. He had also taken his uncle's advice, pushing the energy into a ball. He had spent months practicing pushing the energy. He was now able to create the crackling ball in under a minute. He could even expand it to the size of a golf ball. He would sit on his bed for hours, expanding and contracting the energy. He had done this last night until his enchanted watch had chimed midnight. Andromeda had once told the brothers that birthday wishes always came true. Sirius had wished for a perfect family…

And now his father was standing before him, giving him a gentle smile and asking him what he wanted for breakfast. Sirius supposed that wishes worked after all.

"Err…waffles?" Sirius asked.

"I'll have Kreacher make them," Orion replied, "Get dressed and go downstairs."

"Yes, Father."

He quickly dressed and entered the hallway, only to be bombarded by Regulus.

His brother gave him a giant hug and cried, "Happy Birthday, Sirius!"

"Thanks, Reg," Sirius wheezed, "Come on! Kreacher's going to make me waffles!"

They hurried downstairs. Sure enough, a steaming pile of waffles was sitting in Sirius' spot. Sirius beamed and pushed several onto his brother's plate.

"Happy Birthday, my son," Walburga declared, entering the room.

Sirius thanked her through a mouthful of waffles. He wolfed down his breakfast, happily aware that he wasn't being lectured for having poor table manners.

Regulus eagerly gave him his present: a box of Dungbombs.

"Thanks, Reg!" Sirius laughed, "This is brilliant! Err…Mother…are we going to visit Uncle Cyngus and Aunt Druella anytime soon?"

Regulus giggled and Walburga's eyes momentarily flashed.

Amazingly, she didn't say anything.

Sirius' heart soared.

At last, at _last_, his parents were ideal.

Perhaps not perfect, but definitely ideal.

It was about bloody time too!

No, no. He mustn't feel resentment.

He needed to be thankful.

He _was_ thankful.

He was thankful that his parents were treating him with kindness.

He was thankful that he was eating waffles instead of lumpy porridge.

He was thankful that his birthday wish had worked.

"Are you finished, my son?" Walburga asked.

"Yes, Mother," Sirius replied, pushing his empty plate away.

"Did you get enough to eat?" Orion asked.

"Yes, Father."

"Excellent," Orion boomed, "Come along."

"Where are we going?" Sirius asked, wiping his mouth on the back of his sleeve.

"You are now seven," Walburga explained, "You must partake in a ritual that has been in the Black family for generations."

"Ritual?" Sirius repeated.

"Indeed."

"Regulus," Walburga ordered, "I want you to go play in your room. Sirius, come."

Sirius curiously followed his parents up to the drawing room.

He groaned and cried, "I don't want another lesson."

"It is a ritual," Orion corrected, "But we do hope that you'll learn something."

He closed the door and took out his wand.

Walburga did the same.

Sirius' heart sank and he murmured, "Err…what exactly is this ritual?"

"You have, of course, heard of Unforgivable Curses?" Walburga asked.

Sirius nodded and said, "You taught me that they were bad curses. There's…Imperio…which controls your mind. Then there's…Crucio…that one makes you feel pain. The last one's Avada…Ked…abra…? That's the killing curse."

"An adequate answer," Walburga replied, "Did you know that, during wartime, the Ministry for Magic allows their soldiers to use these curses?"

"Like heathens," Orion spat.

"That's…that's horrible," Sirius whispered.

His parents solemnly nodded.

"The Blacks have built up a strong immunity against these spells," Orion quietly explained, "This ritual will help prepare you, should you ever be struck by one."

"P…prepare me?" Sirius nervously repeated.

"You need to know what it feels like," Orion growled.

Sirius felt his blood turn to ice. He stumbled backwards.

"Brace yourself," Walburga hissed.

Before Sirius could reply, she raised her wand and roared, "CRUCIO!"

Sirius' entire body became rigid. Pain spread through every single cell, reached every limb, touched every muscle and bone. It was as if he had been lit on fire. The drawing room disappeared and he saw nothing but darkness; a void of emptiness. He balled his fists, soundlessly screaming. His father repeated the curse and he fell to the floor, seizing.

It was the worst pain that he had ever felt. Tears streamed down his face. He lost control of his bladder and bowels as he continued to thrash around.

"Fight it, Sirius!" Orion growled.

It hurt so much…

"FIGHT IT!"

His parents finally lowered their wands but the pain didn't cease for a few more minutes.

"Disappointing," Walburga sighed, "Get up."

Sirius remained lying where he was, drenched in sweat and heavily breathing.

"Imperio!"

The pain suddenly went away. Sirius felt as though he was floating on a cloud. It was quite a lovely feeling.

"Get up."

Alright. That seemed doable.

He scrambled to his feet.

"Walk the perimeter of the room."

He did so.

"Now skip."

Sirius skipped, trotted, hopped, somersaulted, sang, howled, and begged.

He was happy to obey every command.

Quite abruptly, the floating feeling disappeared and he crashed to the floor. He rolled onto his side and grunted in pain.

"Pathetic," Orion spat, "You're like a dog! A filthy mutt! Trained to obey!"

Sirius glared up at him. He glared at his mother as well. He gave them a look of utmost contempt, feeling a hatred that no seven-year-old should ever feel.

"We will try the Cruciartus Curse once more," Walburga carelessly said, "Brace yourself…"

"NO!"

Too late.

The pain came and he curled into a ball, weeping and screaming.

His defensive charge crackled, causing strands of his hair to stand on end.

He shakily raised his hands and pushed.

His body seized in pain again.

He pushed once more.

Another flash of hot pain and another desperate push.

Finally, the small ball of light appeared between his hands.

He brought his arms up and threw it as hard as he could.

It hit Walburga in the shoulder. His mother screamed and she toppled backwards. Her hair fell from her bun and hung in her face. Her eyes blazed as she growled, "I see you've learned a trick from my brother. It's a cute little trick but it won't protect you from the curses."

But it _could_ prevent them.

Sirius shakily stood up. Tears continued to pour down his raw cheeks. His entire body trembled and it took all of his strength to push. The ball of energy came again, weak and nimble.

It was still enough for his parents to hesitate.

"We're done," Orion finally said, "You're dismissed."

Sirius threw the ball anyways. His father was knocked onto his back.

Sirius ran before his mother could do anything. He burst into his room and quickly shut the door, locking it. He collapsed and broke down. His entire body shook with silent sobs. He finally staggered to the small door that led to the shared bathroom. Fortunately, his brother wasn't in there. He locked the door on Regulus' side, just to be sure. He drew himself a bath and sank into the scorching water.

He flexed his fingers and pushed. The ball of energy was bigger; it was now the size of a baseball. He contracted and expanded it.

He heard a knock on the door and Regulus called, "Sirius? Are you okay?"

"'m fine," Sirius grunted.

"Why are you taking a bath?"

"I…err…I got syrup on me," Sirius lied, "When I was eating the waffles."

"Oh."

Sirius closed his hands, feeling exhausted.

"Are you getting a cold?" Regulus called, "You sound…stuffy."

Sirius wiped his eyes and replied, "I'm fine, Reg."

There was a pause and Sirius hoped that he had left.

He hadn't.

"Sirius?"

Sirius sighed and cried, "Yeah?"

"Happy Birthday."

Sirius wiped his eyes again and mumbled, "Thanks, Reg."

"What did you wish for?" Regulus eagerly asked.

"Huh?"

"Didn't you make a wish at midnight?" Regulus cried, "What did you wish for?"

"It doesn't matter," Sirius declared.

"W…why not?"

"Because," Sirius sadly said, "It didn't come true."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

"I'm running away."

"You're what?" Regulus whispered.

He searched Sirius' face, looking for a sign that he was joking.

He was quite sincere.

"But…why?" Regulus cried.

Sirius sat on the edge of his bed and muttered, "I can't stay here, Reg."

"Why not?" Regulus demanded.

"Mother and Father are…" Sirius broke off before saying, "I just…can't."

Regulus continued to stare at him, not knowing what to say.

"I've packed a suitcase," Sirius continued, "See?"

He lifted it up and explained, "I packed three pairs of robes, a pair of pajamas, and my toothbrush. That should be enough, shouldn't it?"

Regulus nodded and mumbled, "I suppose so."

He dug his toe into the carpet and asked, "Do you know how to do laundry?"

"Err…no," Sirius admitted, "But…it shouldn't be that hard."

"Well, do you know how to cook?" Regulus exclaimed.

"I don't need to cook," Sirius patiently said, "I packed snacks."

"Well…what if you need to buy something?" Regulus asked, "You don't have any money!"

"Do so," Sirius argued, "I have over thirty galleons!"

"How?" Regulus gasped.

"Mother, Father, Uncle Alphard, Aunt Druella, and Uncle Cyngus all give us money during the holidays," Sirius snorted, "Just because you spend yours on a whim…"

Regulus glowered before squeaking, "Don't go."

"I have to," Sirius sighed, "I'll miss you, Reg."

"I'll miss you, too," Regulus whimpered.

He threw his arms around Sirius.

His brother rested his forehead against his and he instantly felt better.

Sirius stood up, grabbed his suitcase, and murmured, "Goodbye, Reg."

"I want to come with you!" Regulus whined, "Please?"

"I was hoping that you'd say that!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Let me pack my bags," Regulus eagerly said, "Then we can run away, together!"

He raced over to his closet and stuffed his clothes into a satchel.

"Are you sure?" Sirius whispered.

Regulus nodded.

Sirius extended his arm and Regulus took his hand.

They crept downstairs before realizing that their parents weren't there. Regulus glanced around the foyer before Sirius pulled him outside.

They walked, hand-in-hand, for what seemed like forever.

"This is brilliant," Sirius excitedly said, "Really! No more yelling! No more lessons! No more curses! No more glares! No more green eyes! No more Mother and Father!"

Regulus also felt excited, if only because his brother did.

They finally stopped and Regulus heaved himself onto a bench.

Sirius sat next to him and pulled a granola bar from his pouch.

He split it in half and gave Regulus a piece. He eagerly swallowed it whole.

"Easy," Sirius laughed, "That's your lunch!"

Regulus wiped the crumbs away and mumbled, "I wonder if Kreacher can make us something."

"No," Sirius cried, "The point is to run away from Kreacher, Mother, and Father!"

"But why?" Regulus asked, "Why are we running away?"

Sirius hesitated. The cold wind tousled the brothers' hair and they shivered.

"Well?" Regulus demanded.

"Mother and Father," Sirius began, "They…they aren't nice."

Regulus blinked, wondering if his brother was keeping something from him.

"Look," Sirius sighed, "It's just…"

Whatever he was about to say was drowned out by a roll of thunder.

Regulus jumped and inched closer to his brother.

"It's alright," Sirius murmured, "It's going to be alright, Reg."

He put his arm around Regulus' shoulders and Regulus leaned against him.

After a moment, Regulus whispered, "Are we hobos?"

Sirius chuckled and said, "I suppose we are. Where do you want to go?"

"I like this bench," Regulus declared, "We should stay here."

"'Sounds good to me," Sirius agreed.

They sat on the bench for the rest of the day, trying to remain inconspicuous. Muggles walked past, occasionally stopping to sit next to them. Children ran past, giggling and playing.

The thunder increased until a cloud finally broke. The rain poured down, drenching them.

"Do you have an umbrella?" Regulus asked.

"No," Sirius admitted, "Do you?"

"No," Regulus sighed, "And I'm getting hungry."

They had eaten the snacks within the first hour.

"Plus," Regulus embarrassedly murmured, "I have to use the bathroom."

"So do I," Sirius agreed.

Regulus hesitated, a question lingering on the tip of his tongue.

"Do you want to go home?" Sirius gently asked.

Regulus nodded and asked, "You?"

"Yeah," Sirius sighed, "Let's go."

They left the park, walked across the street, and entered 12 Grimmauld Place.

"Did Young Masters Black enjoy playing in the park?" Kreacher asked, taking their soaked cloaks from their shoulders.

"We were running away," Regulus cheerfully declared.

"That's nice, Young Master Regulus," Kreacher absentmindedly said, "Please take your shoes off. Kreacher just mopped the floor."

They did so and Kreacher added, "Go upstairs and get washed up. Kreacher is making ham for dinner. It'll be ready in a quarter of an hour."

They trudged upstairs and Regulus cheerfully said, "That was fun, Sirius. But…next time…we should pack more granola bars. And an umbrella."

Sirius gave him a pained look and Regulus cried, "What?"

"Nothing," Sirius mumbled.

"Can we play another game?" Regulus asked.

"It wasn't…" Sirius began.

He broke off and muttered, "Fine."

"Exploding Snap?" Regulus eagerly asked.

"Sure."

They took the game out and began to play. Their parents came home several minutes later to the decedent smell of caramelized ham. They were completely oblivious to their sons' adventure. It was as if Sirius and Regulus had never left.


	15. Chapter 15

Author's Note: Hello! I know that I usually post on Tuesdays but I'm going to be busy in the next few weeks between vacation and transferring to a new college, so I figured that I would get some chapters out of the way! Thank you for the messages on tumblr!

Chapter Fifteen

The salty waves lapped at Sirius' feet. He beamed as he danced back and forth. The sun was baking his skin but he didn't care. Next to him, Regulus was also dancing with the waves.

Then, quite suddenly, a large one crashed into them and pulled both brothers off of their feet. They grabbed each other's hands as they were swept into the ocean. They were eventually ripped apart as they tumbled around and around, swallowing the salty water.

They resurfaced, both laughing, before swimming back to the shore.

"Alright?"

They glanced up at the call.

Uncle Alphard was lazily sitting in a lawn-chair, leafing through his book.

"Fine!" Sirius called back, "Come on, Reg!"

The brothers ran back into the ocean. The waves got them again, crashing and pounding at their sunburns. Sirius continued to laugh and scream. He couldn't remember the last time that he had been so giddy. He watched as Regulus tumbled over again. Sirius amusedly pulled him to his feet, only to be knocked down himself. Regulus giggled.

Then:

"Ouch!"

Sirius winced in pain as his leg scraped something.

"What is it?" Regulus frantically cried, "Is it a shark?"

"No, no," Sirius grunted.

Too late. Regulus was already leaping towards the shore. Sirius scrambled to his feet and amusedly said, "It's not a shark, Reg. It's a seashell."

Regulus inched towards him and cautiously asked, "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure!" Sirius laughed, "Look!"

He held up the large conch shell. Regulus went from being scared to being excited once more. He bounded back into the water and Sirius handed it to him.

"You know," Sirius mused, "I once heard Andromeda say that if you hold a seashell up to your ear, you can hear the ocean."

"Really?" Regulus gasped.

"Oh yeah," Sirius cried, "Go on. Try it."

His six-year-old brother brought the shell to his ear and listened before excitedly exclaiming, "I hear it, Sirius! I hear it!"

He glanced up before flushing as Sirius smirked. They were, after all, standing right in the middle of the ocean.

"Very funny!" Regulus huffed, "It's still pretty neat."

"I remember Andy reading me one of her Muggle books once," Sirius continued, "Where a bunch of boys got stranded on an island and the one blew on the shell…like a horn."

Regulus looked skeptical.

"Really!" Sirius laughed, "I'm not joking this time. Give it here."

Regulus handed it over and Sirius examined it.

"Well?"

"I'm thinking," Sirius cried, "I don't want to blow on the wrong end, do I?"

He finally found a spot. He took a deep breath and blew.

_HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK_

Regulus fell onto his bottom, cracking up.

"It works!" Sirius shrieked, "It works!"

He kindly handed it to Regulus who took a deep breath and blew until his cheeks were puffed out:

_HONK HONK HONK HOOOOOONK_

"Alright, alright," Sirius laughed.

"I'm keeping it," Regulus declared.

"I found it!" Sirius argued.

Regulus stuck out his bottom lip and Sirius smiled, "Fine."

The two walked back up to the cluster of chairs and showed off their shell.

"Very nice," Uncle Alphard approvingly said, "Come along. Let's go up to the pier."

They walked around for what felt like hours, going into the shops and buying small trinkets and souvenirs. Both brothers had left their shirts at the beach. Uncle Alphard bought them bright shirts with flowered patterns. They reached the brothers' knees but they didn't care.

They stopped at a flashy diner with neon lights and a checkered floor. They ate right on the pier, at a plastic table beneath a shady umbrella. Sirius ordered a hamburger and Regulus ordered a corndog. Uncle Alphard got a basket of fries for them to share. Regulus practically emptied the ketchup bottle, until it was oozing out of the bottom of the basket.

"You two are nearly as red as that ketchup," Uncle Alphard laughed.

Sirius glanced at his brother and realized that he was right. They were both bright red, save for the sand and salt that was sticking to their skin. Both brothers shrugged. It barely hurt and it had been worth it. They ate their food and excitedly watched as the workers in the restaurant leapt onto the tables to dance along to an upbeat Muggle song:

_With you, my brown-eyed girl,_

_You, my brown-eyed girl._

Sirius leapt up and grabbed his brother's sticky hands, pulling him to his feet. His brother laughed as Sirius moved his arms back and forth and wiggled his hips:

_Do you remember when we used to sing?_

_Sha la la la la la la la la la la dee dah_

_Sha la la la la la la la la la la dee dah_

_La dee dah._

They both collapsed, cracking up. People around them laughed and cheered. Somebody handed them a photograph that they had taken. They both looked ecstatic.

"I can't remember the last time I've been this happy," Regulus gushed.

Sirius' smile faded away.

"Sirius?" Regulus asked, "You okay?"

"Feeling seasick, lad?" Uncle Alphard asked.

"No," Sirius murmured.

He stood up and walked over to the railing. He pulled himself up and sat on it, staring out at the pier. Eventually, Regulus stood up and came over to stand next to him.

"Sirius, what's wrong?" Regulus asked.

Sirius sighed, the salty wind tugging at his long hair. There was a reason that Regulus couldn't remember a time when he had been this happy. There hadn't been a time. Regulus was six, Sirius was seven, and this was their happiest moment. Granted, it _was_ a very happy moment.

Still…Sirius reckoned that there should have been more.

"Too much ketchup?" Regulus worriedly asked.

"Huh?"

"Did I put too much ketchup on the fries?" Regulus asked, "I always do."

He guiltily stared down at the ocean.

Sirius softened and chuckled, "Yeah, just a bit."

"Sorry."

"Ah, it's alright," Sirius cheerfully said, hopping down and affectionately ruffling his brother's hair, "I'll just eat my hamburger instead."

"You sure?"

"Yeah," Sirius gently said, "I'm sure. Besides, I see an ice-cream cart down the pier."

He laughed at Regulus' face. It was clear that the corndog and fries were forgotten. Uncle Alphard also laughed and heartily said, "Go on. It's your vacation."

Regulus took a handful of Muggle money and raced off to buy three cones. Sirius glanced down and the picture and beamed. He watched as Regulus staggered back, dripping vanilla ice-cream down his front, and went to help. He wasn't about to let the thought that this was their happiest moment ruin the fact that it was their happiest moment.

And so, he, Regulus, and Uncle Alphard sat beneath the umbrella at that plastic table, eating and laughing and making a mess and having the time of their lives.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Regulus worriedly knelt next to his brother. Sirius was screaming with laughter as his body flopped around the attic floor. He looked like a plimpy out of water.

The laughter finally died down and Sirius weakly sat up.

"Alright?" Regulus nervously asked.

"Fine," Sirius gasped, "Other than the stitch in my side."

"I hate this, Sirius!" Regulus burst out, "I hate having to duel you!"

"So do I," Sirius admitted, "But there's nothing that we can do."

Regulus hesitated and whispered, "What if I take the hex next time?"

"No!" Sirius sharply said, "Absolutely not."

"But it's not fair!" Regulus cried.

"Nothing about this is fair, Reg," Sirius pointed out, "I'm not letting you get hurt."

Regulus sighed and muttered, "Father called me that name, again. Mow Vay Fee. He and Mother have been saying it a lot. What do you suppose it means?"

Sirius shrugged and said, "It might be French."

"Do you know French?" Regulus eagerly asked.

Sirius shook his head.

He brightened and pointed out, "We're going to see Uncle Cyngus and Aunt Druella this afternoon. They have a library. They might have a translator scroll."

"You're right," Regulus agreed, "We can look it up."

They headed downstairs and Sirius added, "I wish we were going to Uncle Alphard's instead."

"I know," Regulus sighed, "We haven't seen him in months."

"And for a very good reason!"

Their mother entered the foyer and briskly said, "When he told me that he was taking you to the beach with him, I made him promise that he would keep you from the ocean. And what happened? He broke his promise! You could have been killed!"

"He took his Clotting Potion," Sirius argued, "He was fine!"

"Don't talk back!" Walburga snapped.

"Or what?" Sirius coolly asked, "You'll make me stay here?"

Regulus blinked, stunned by his brother's cheek.

"Or I'll make you stay in your room on Christmas morning," Walburga barked.

Sirius sighed and mumbled, "I'm sorry, Mother."

"You ought to be," Walburga agreed.

Orion entered the room and declared that they would be using something called the Floo Network to get to Uncle Cyngus and Aunt Druella's. Regulus and Sirius curiously followed their parents up to the drawing room. Their jaws dropped as Orion took a pot from the mantle and took out a handful of powder. He threw it across the hearth and green flames rose up.

"Whoa," Sirius whispered.

"Your mother will go first," Orion explained.

They watched as Walburga stepped right into the flames and cried, "Manor of Cyngus and Druella Black!"

She spun around in a cascade of green and disappeared.

The brothers' jaws dropped.

"'Got that?" Orion asked, "You just step in and say your destination."

Sirius swallowed and Regulus weakly nodded.

"Sirius, you first," Orion demanded.

Regulus watched as his brother hesitated and backed away.

"It's perfectly safe," Orion snapped, "Don't you trust me?"

Sirius glared at him and muttered, "No."

"Too bad!" Orion growled, shoving his son across the hearth.

Regulus clamped a hand over his mouth but nothing happened. Sirius looked horrified but was perfectly safe.

"Go on," Orion ordered, "We don't have all day!"

Sirius' frown deepened but he cried, "Manor of Cyngus and Druella Black!"

Just like their mother, Sirius disappeared.

"SIRIUS!" Regulus shrieked.

"He's fine," Orion stated, "Go on!"

Regulus apprehensively entered the fireplace. The flames were warm but harmless.

He sighed with relief before whispering, "Manor of Cyngus and Druella Black."

And suddenly, he was spinning around. His elbow crashed against something and immediately ached. He finally flew forward and landed on a cold floor.

"Alright?" Sirius cried, helping him to his feet.

"Fine," Regulus murmured, "I hit my funny bone."

"Did you laugh?" Sirius teased.

Regulus stuck out his tongue as their father stepped out of the fireplace.

The family went downstairs and wished their distant relatives a happy Christmas.

Pleasantries were exchanged before Narcissa cried, "Let's go play in the snow!"

"We can have a snowball fight," Andomreda agreed.

Bellatrix looked disinterested but eventually agreed.

"We'll be right there," Sirius said, "We need to use the bathroom."

Bellatrix raised her eyebrow and remarked, "Both of you?"

Sirius stared at her before slowly saying, "Yes."

She gave them suspicious looks before leaving.

Sirius and Regulus crept upstairs and into the family's small library. After browsing the shelves for several minutes, Sirius finally found a rolled up piece of parchment.

"This is it," Sirius exclaimed, "A translator scroll from French to English."

"How does it work?" Regulus whispered.

Sirius unrolled it and cried, "May…err…fee?"

Writing appeared on the page.

Sirius lifted it up and cried, "Ah…it's spelled m-e-i-l-l-e-u-r f-i-l-s!"

"Well?" Regulus demanded, "What does it mean!?"

Sirius face fell.

"What's wrong?" Regulus asked.

"Err…nothing," Sirius mumbled, "It's broken."

"Can I see?" Regulus asked.

"No," Sirius replied, rolling it up and putting it on the shelf, "You don't want to break it even more. Come on. Let's go."

Regulus shrugged and followed him outside.

They were immediately bombarded by a large snowball.

Bellatrix lowered her wand, smirking.

"I thought you weren't allowed to use magic outside Hogwarts," Sirius grumbled.

"They can't tell," Bellatrix bragged, "So long as you do it around a magical household."

Sirius grabbed a handful of snow and threw it at her. She easily deflected it. Andromeda cheerfully threw several snowballs back and the brothers dove out of the way. Soon, the five cousins were at war. Regulus giggled as he managed to hit Narcissa, only to have Andromeda playfully dump a handful of snow down his shirt. Eventually, the three realized that Sirius and Bellatrix were having a more heated fight. Sirius' face was bright red as he attempted to throw snowball after snowball. Bellatrix lazily rebounded them.

"No fair!" Sirius finally cried, "Drop your wand and fight on even ground!"

"Or maybe I should give you a wand," Bellatrix remarked, "Oh, that's right! Little Sirius doesn't know how to fight with a wand."

"Bellatrix, he's seven!" Andromeda cried.

"I know how to fight with a wand," Sirius angrily replied, "And I'm almost eight!"

"You little liar!" Bellatrix spat, "Father told me what Aunt Walburga said! You haven't won a single duel against your brother! That's why Reggie was christened the meilleur fils—the best son!"

"What?" Regulus whispered, glancing at his brother.

So that's what meilleur fils meant.

"You're weak," Bellatrix continued, "Pathetic."

"Give me a wand," Sirius growled, "And I'll show you how weak I am."

Bellatrix stared at him for a moment before sniffing, "Fine."

"Bellatrix, no!" Andromeda cried, "You're nine years older than him!"

"It's alright, Andy," Sirius murmured, "I want to do this."

"Narcissa," Bellatrix ordered, "Give Sirius your wand."

She hesitated before complying.

Bellatrix took a tree branch and drew a line in the snow.

Regulus nervously watched as his brother and his cousin bowed and took their positions.

"Sirius," Regulus whispered, "Are you sure…?"

"'Course I am," Sirius muttered.

Narcissa counted to three and Bellatrix shrieked, "Stupefy!"

"Protego!" Sirius roared.

The shield came up between them and rebounded the spell. Bellatrix was forced to dive out of the way.

"Rictusempera!" Sirius cried.

The curse hit Bellatrix in the shoulder and she began to laugh. Sirius raised his wand again but Bellatrix was quicker, "Conjunctivitis!"

Sirius shouted out, temporarily blinded.

"Tarantallegra!" Bellatrix screeched.

Sirius began to dance around.

He blindly aimed and cried, "Expelliarmus!"

Bellatrix's wand flew from her hand. By the time she scrambled after it, Sirius had regained his vision.

The duel continued on, both of the opponents fierce and unyielding.

After five minutes, their chests were heaving, their hair was hanging in their faces, and their eyes were blazing with anger.

"Alright!" Andromeda cried, "That's enough!"

Sirius nodded and lowered his wand.

Bellatrix reluctantly did the same.

"Now, who's the weak one?" Sirius muttered, "You're evenly matched against a seven-year-old. Granted, I am almost eight but…"

He yelped as she slashed her wand through the air. The curse hit him in his stomach and he fell to his hands and knees.

"Bellatrix!" Andromeda shrieked.

"That's not fair!" Regulus roared, "He had lowered his wand!"

Bellatrix continued to walk towards his brother, raising her wand.

Regulus frantically pushed.

"Bellatrix, leave him alone!" Andromeda ordered, "I'll get Mother and Father…"

Regulus frantically pushed again.

Bellatrix raised her wand.

Another frantic push and suddenly he was holding a small ball of energy in each hand.

He leapt between his cousin and brother, shrieking, "Don't touch him!"

Bellatrix stopped in her tracks.

Sirius blinked up at him before happily crying, "Uncle Alphard taught you?"

Regulus nodded and mumbled, "The first night of our vacation…"

Sirius thought back to it before chuckling, "I was out cold."

"I know," Regulus giggled, "He asked if I wanted him to read a story before bed. Instead, I asked if he could tell me how to make them."

"I've never been able to break it into two balls," Sirius amazedly said, "How…?"

"I dunno," Regulus admitted, "This is the first time that I've done it."

"Are you going to hurt me, Reggie?" Bellatrix teased, "I'll tell your parents."

Regulus clenched his fists and the balls of energy disappeared.

"That's what I thought," Bellatrix muttered.

Regulus glared at her before promptly diving to the ground. He let out a tremendous cry.

"Reg?" Sirius gasped, crawling over to him, "What…?"

Regulus quickly winked and his brother relaxed.

He continued to scream and cry until both sets of parents came running.

"What happened?" Walburga shrieked.

Their father looked furious as he growled, "Did Sirius—"

"Nooo!" Regulus moaned, pretending to wipe away tears, "Bellatrix cursed me!"

"What!?"

Cyngus and Druella towered over their daughter, looking furious.

"How could you?" Walburga screeched, "He has haemophilia!"

Sirius stood up and helped Regulus to his feet.

"You are grounded for a month!" Uncle Cyngus roared.

Bellatrix glared at the brothers, who gave her a smirk in return.

Andromeda and Narcissa both took the moment to gaze at a hummingbird in the tree.

"Inside," Aunt Druella snapped, "Now."

She stomped away and Regulus called, "Happy Christmas, Bella!"

Sirius roared with laughter and muttered, "I don't know about being the meilleur fils. But you are definitely the meilleur frère."

Regulus beamed before pelting him with a snowball.


	17. Chapter 17

Author's Note: I'm sorry that I wasn't able to upload anything last week. I was on vacation!

Chapter Seventeen

Sirius carefully opened the door to his brother's room.

He crouched down before pouncing on the bed and shrieking, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Unfortunately, his brother wasn't in bed.

The door to the wardrobe sprang open and Regulus raced out. Before Sirius could react, he was being hit with his brother's pillow. Sirius laughed and wrestled him to the ground.

Their parents entered and Walburga gushed, "Happy Birthday, mon meilleur fils."

"Sirius, get off of him!" Orion ordered.

"Yeah, sure," Sirius muttered.

He stood up and Regulus lightly thwacked him on the back of his head.

Sirius returned the hit and his brother teasingly nudged him.

"Err…Mother," Regulus spoke up, "May I have a birthday cake? A Muggle cake?"

Sirius' breath caught in his throat. Their parents' smiles briefly faded.

"Of course," Walburga finally gushed.

"Anything for you, son," Orion declared.

"Can I have a bottle of cream soda?" Regulus hopefully asked.

Once again, Sirius' breath hitched. Muggle drinks weren't allowed in their house.

Nevertheless, his parents nodded.

"Sirius will get everything for you," Walburga added.

Sirius groaned.

"That's enough," Orion snapped, "It's your brother's birthday. Go."

He cuffed Sirius on the neck for good measure.

"Fine!" Sirius snapped.

He knew that there was a grungy bakery down the corner. He shuffled back to his room and got dressed before grabbing the small pouch of Muggle money that Uncle Alphard had given him. He then trudged down to the bakery. His skin crawled as he glanced around the neighborhood. The walls were grimy, litter scattered the streets, and some of the windows were boarded up. He didn't understand why his parents lived in such a desolate neighborhood. They had the money. They ought to be living in a neighborhood of elaborate mansions. Or, Sirius brightly thought, out in the country. They could get a small cottage like Uncle Alphard. He and Regulus would have plenty of room to run around—to be free. And they would always be able to see the stars. Anything was better than living in Grimmauld Place.

Sirius bought a day-old cake with crooked writing. Unfortunately, the pot-bellied man behind the counter declared that he was out of soda. He pointed to the tavern across the street.

Sirius reluctantly entered the seedy building. He bought two bottles of cream soda and apprehensively glanced around.

A curvy woman was at the bar, sipping a bright green drink. Sirius grinned; maybe this day wouldn't be so bad after all. He pulled himself up onto the stool. The woman barely glanced at him before ordering another drink. Sirius watched with a small amount of fascination as she drained it in a single swallow. She ordered a third.

"I'll pay," Sirius boldly said, fishing out several coins.

The woman snorted and superciliously replied, "Isn't it past your bedtime, kid?"

Sirius felt his cheeks burn as the man behind the counter snickered. The pungent stench of the drink was suddenly overwhelming. There was something spilled on the floor and the remnants of an abandoned lunch on the counter. Something moldy was crawling along the one wall. He shouldn't be here. It wasn't fair. He was sitting in this scrapheap while Regulus was at home, being coddled by his parents. Perhaps he was being reminded of the fact that he was the best son. Perhaps he was eating a feast prepared by Kreacher. Or perhaps he was…

Sirius suddenly gasped.

It wasn't just Regulus' birthday.

It was Regulus' _seventh_ birthday.

"No," Sirius gasped, "No!"

How had he forgotten? How could he have forgotten the pain and misery that he had faced on his own seventh birthday?

"Geez, what's your problem?"

The woman was glaring down at him. Sirius took a good look at her and decided that she wasn't as curvy as he originally thought. She was rather plain and certainly none too attractive with her lips pulled into a sneer as she as she snapped, "Will somebody get this kid out of here?"

Before Sirius knew what he was doing, he had taken a chunk of cake and had thrown it at the woman. It landed in her bleached hair, causing her to howl with anger.

"I'd love to stay and watch you devour a fourth drink," Sirius sardonically said, "But I'm afraid that it's past my bedtime."

He grabbed the remainder of the cake and raced out of the pub.

Shit. This was not good. This was _not_ good. He had messed up.

He anxiously pelted down the street, fearing the worst. He suddenly realized how selfish he had been. A few minutes ago, he had been fuming with the thought that his parents were coddling his brother. He now hoped that that was what they had done. He hoped that they had treated him to the best day of his life.

A horrible feeling gnawed at the pit of his stomach as he watched his house unfold before his eyes. He barely waited for the door to materialize before he wrenched it open and frantically raced in. His mother was calmly sitting in the parlor, holding a fizzing potion in one hand.

"Where's Regulus?" Sirius asked through clenched teeth.

She merely sniffed and acted as though he hadn't spoken. He took the stairs two at a time and burst into his brother's room.

Regulus was lying beneath the covers, softly whimpering. Sirius gently called his name.

"Nogetback," Regulus murmured before his eyes were completely open. Sirius dropped the cake and raced over to him. He was feverish and seemingly unaware that he was crying. He shook with fear and pain. Sirius pulled his brother onto his lap. Regulus' defensive charge shocked him but he didn't let go.

"I'm sorry, Reg," Sirius profusely apologized, "I'm so sorry."

It was several moments before Regulus could speak. His eyes were cold and accusing as he spluttered, "Why didn't you warn me?"

"I forgot," Sirius lamely whispered.

"You forgot?" Regulus croaked, "How could you forget something like that?"

"I…

Sirius didn't know.

He didn't know how he could have possibly forgotten.

Tears welled up in his own eyes. He always protected Regulus. He always took the curses and the lectures and the punishments. Only this time, he had failed.

"I'm sorry, Reg," Sirius whispered.

He rested his forehead against his brother's and continued to murmur an apology until his brother stopped crying.

"Maybe it's for the best," Regulus squeaked, "To forget about it, that is."

"Yeah," Sirius hesitantly said, "Maybe."

He didn't think that it was possible to forget something so horrible.

Then again, he had somehow managed to do just that.

And now, it seemed that his brother was determined to do the same.

"I just want to enjoy the rest of my birthday," Regulus whispered.

Sirius smiled and gently said, "Alright."

The two ate the entire cake, using their hands and making a lovely mess.

Sirius finally leapt to his feet and cried, "I got you an amazing present!"

He raced to his room and grabbed it. He hurried back and proudly presented it.

"Wicked!" Regulus gasped.

It was a book on identifying the stars and constellations. The last time that they had gone to Uncle Alphard's, Regulus had spent a quarter of an hour staring at the sky.

"Thanks, Sirius," Regulus cried, gingerly taking it.

"No problem!" Sirius proudly said.

Regulus flipped through the pages before saying, "There you are! And here I am."

He pointed at the pictures of the stars before asking, "Why are we named after stars?"

Sirius hesitated before calmly saying, "We're not."

"Huh?"

"The stars are named after us," Sirius explained, "We own the universe, you see."

"We do?"

"The Black family does," Sirius brightly said, "You and I each own a star. So does Bellatrix. Father and Andromeda own entire constellations."

Regulus' eyes sparkled with wonder as he whispered, "Wow…"

He hesitated before asking, "So…who was named Sun?"

Sirius gave a start and asked, "What do you mean?"

"If everything in the universe is named after our family," Regulus explained, "Who was named Sun?"

Sirius stared at him for a moment before calmly saying, "Our great-great-grandfather."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Wow!"

Sirius chuckled and said, "And look at the caption beneath your name…'Little King'."

He pointed to the book and Regulus whispered, "What does that mean?"

Sirius beamed as he whispered, "It means that you're the Prince of the Universe."

"I am?"

Sirius nodded and Regulus' face broke out into an excited grin.

"We own the universe," Regulus amazedly whispered.

Sirius nodded and gently said, "It's ours for the taking."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Oh man. _Oh man._ He had messed up. His face was hot and prickly as he drew his knees to his chest, lying in a fetal position. This was not good. His parents were going to be furious. He wasn't quite sure what to do. He squirmed and subsequently ended up scraping his head. He briefly wondered how long a person could live beneath the bed. He supposed that he could get Kreacher to bring him food for the rest of his life. Going to the bathroom might be an issue…

Regulus anxiously glanced up as he heard the sound of approaching footsteps. He tried to catch his breath and keep still. The footsteps paused and he sighed with relief. Then, the dust ruffle was pulled aside and his brother's face appeared.

"Regulus, what are you doing?"

Sirius sounded both worried and exasperated.

"Hiding," Regulus squeaked.

"Well I can see that," Sirius sighed, "Come on out. Mother's going to yell at you if she finds out that you're getting dust on your trousers."

"She's going to yell at me if she finds out that I broke her vase," Regulus responded.

"You did _what_?"

Regulus cringed and hastily formed an excuse, "It wasn't my fault. I was just…"

"Which vase?"

Regulus wiped his eyes and meekly said, "The one outside the drawing room."

"Regu_lus_," Sirius groaned, "That's the one Aunt Druella gave us."

"I'm sorry!" Regulus wailed, "It was an accident!"

"We were having a good week," Sirius whispered, looking quite upset.

"Huh?"

"Nothing," Sirius mumbled, "It was bound to end anyway."

"Sirius…what…?"

"Stay here," Sirius ordered, "But get off of the floor before you get dustier."

Regulus pulled himself onto his bed.

"Stay here," Sirius repeated, "Alright? Can you do that?"

"Yeah, I can do that," Regulus sullenly remarked, "I'm not a tot, Sirius."

"And yet you still hide like one," Sirius replied, "Stay. Here."

He marched away, shutting the door behind him.

Regulus sighed and patted his trousers. He could still see the streaks of brown against the black wool. He dug the palms of his hands into the stains but they didn't come out. He even licked his hands and wiped again, but that only seemed to make the stains worse.

Mother was going to be furious.

He heard the front door open. His parents were home. They were climbing the stairs.

His chest heaved and fell as he tried not to panic. Where had Sirius gone? A horrible thought occurred to Regulus. What if Sirius had purposely made him come out of hiding so that his parents could find him and yell at him? And that's why he had told Regulus to stay put. That was why he had shut the door and had left him there. It was a bloody trap! What a rotten trick. Regulus angrily gritted his teeth. Sure enough, he could hear Sirius' voice.

And then screaming. A lot of screaming. Regulus gripped the side of the bed, expecting his parents to crash through the door at any minute. And with stains on his trousers.

"Thanks a lot, Sirius," Regulus growled.

But nobody came. Regulus anxiously waited. And waited. And waited. The screaming continued and yet nobody came for him.

Maybe he still had some time. A wild idea occurred to him; one that Sirius would be proud of. Regulus jumped up and raced over to his wardrobe. He slipped out of his trousers, crammed them into the back corner, and changed into another pair. Nobody would be the wiser.

He triumphantly smiled as he returned to his bed. He might get yelled at for the vase but at least his trousers were clean. But if they were going to yell at him, he wished that they would get on with it. The tension caused his stomach to burn.

At long last, his doorknob turned.

Regulus stiffened as his mother entered.

"Regulus," Walburga kindly said, "Dinner."

"I'm sorry, Mother!" Regulus burst out, "I'm sorry!"

"For what?"

Regulus studied her for a moment. She didn't look angry. Perhaps he was forgiven?

"Coming, Mother," Regulus hastily said, not wanting to press his luck.

He eagerly followed her down to the basement. Kreacher had prepared a burnt chicken and grey potatoes.

"Regulus," Orion greeted, "What did you do this afternoon?"

"I…I…" Regulus stammered.

"Would Master Black like some gravy for his potatoes?" Kreacher asked.

"Yes, please," Regulus cried, grateful for the distraction, "Thanks, Kreacher."

His parents started to eat and Regulus asked, "Shouldn't we wait for Sirius?"

"Eat, Regulus."

Regulus ate.

After ten minutes, however, he spoke up, "Where's Sirius?"

"Sirius will not be joining us."

"Why not?" Regulus confusedly asked.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Walburga chastised, "You're the meilleur fils; you ought to act that way."

Regulus uneasily poked at his potatoes. He suddenly wasn't very hungry. He couldn't figure out what was going on but he knew that something wasn't right.

"May I be excused?" Regulus finally asked.

"Not until you eat your potatoes."

He sighed and forced them down. Five minutes later, Orion finally glanced up and nodded in approval. Regulus leapt up and took the stairs two at a time. Sirius' door was closed. Regulus knocked but there was no answer. He started back down the stairs before thinking better of it. He spun around and raced back up, barging in with a bit more noise than he had intended.

His brother had been lying in his bed, staring at the ceiling. He now scrambled to his feet, looking shaken as he cried, "Regulus! Don't you knock?"

"I _did_ knock," Regulus remarked.

"I didn't hear you."

"Well, I did."

"I didn't hear you," Sirius repeated.

"That doesn't mean that I didn't knock!"

"Alright, alright," Sirius sighed, "I'm just saying…I didn't hear you."

"And I'm saying that I knocked," Regulus argued.

"Fine!" Sirius cried, "I believe you! What did you want?"

"Why weren't you at dinner?"

Something clouded over Sirius' face but he was quick to reply, "I wasn't hungry."

"Are you ill?"

He did look pretty pale. And his eyes were bloodshot.

Sirius sighed and mumbled, "Yeah…a bit."

"It's not contagious is it?" Regulus asked, taking a few steps away from him.

"Nah, you're fine," Sirius said, flopping onto his bed.

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

Sirius then glanced at him before amusedly asking, "How did you get the dust out?"

"Changed my trousers," Regulus proudly said.

"Nice," Sirius snickered.

Regulus dug his toe into the carpet before asking, "Are you alright?"

"'m fine."

"You sound weird," Regulus pointed out, "Stuffy."

"I told you; I'm sick."

Regulus nodded before muttering, "'Serves you right for the trick you pulled."

Sirius glanced up and asked, "What trick?"

"Having me come out of hiding and then making me stay in my room so that Mother and Father could find me," Regulus irritably replied, "It wasn't nice."

Sirius gave him a strange look but didn't say anything.

"It wasn't nice," Regulus repeated.

"Go to bed, Regulus," Sirius suddenly said, "I don't feel well."

"It's not bedtime."

"Go away," Sirius groaned.

"I don't want to."

"Why not?"

"I just don't."

"Go!"

Sirius flopped onto his stomach, burying his face into his pillow. Regulus started out but his hand lingered on the doorknob.

Sirius must have sensed his presence because he mumbled, "What?"

"I don't want to be in trouble," Regulus blurted out.

"Don't worry," Sirius replied, his voice muffled by the pillow, "You're going to be fine."

"But what about the vase?"

"Forget about the vase!"

"But they're going to yell at me!"

"No, they're not!"

"But…but…I broke the vase!"

"No, you didn't!"

"What do you mean?"

"You didn't break the vase!"

"But…but…I did!"

"Why do you have to always argue?" Sirius groaned, "I fixed everything, alright?"

"You fixed…everything?"

"Yes, I fixed everything! Of course I did. I always I fix everything! Now get out!"

"But how did you…?"

"Go _away_, Regulus!" Sirius cried, throwing his pillow.

"Alright!" Regulus cried, dodging it, "I'm going!"

He closed the door behind him before hesitating. He went back downstairs and saw that his parents were in the parlor. He continued down to the basement and knocked on the boiler door. He heard grumbling before Kreacher poked his head out.

"Master Black!" Kreacher immediately cried, "Is everything alright?"

"Can you make me some soup?" Regulus sweetly asked, "Please, Kreacher?"

"Of course, Master!" Kreacher immediately said, pushing past him, "What kind?"

"Chicken noodle. And…err…a sandwich, please?"

"Coming right up!" Kreacher replied, bustling around the newly-cleaned kitchen, "Did Master Black not like his supper?"

"No, I did," Regulus assuredly said, "It was excellent."

The house-elf puffed out his chest and continued to work. Within a few moments, Regulus was holding a hot mug of soup. He also asked Kreacher for some tea, which the house-elf was happy to provide. Regulus dumped the two mugs onto a tray and grabbed the tray with the sandwich. He carried both trays back up the stairs, slopping a good portion of the soup onto himself as he did so.

He stopped outside his brother's door and called, "Sirius! I can't knock!"

The door opened. Sirius looked worse; his skin was paler and his eyes were redder. He rubbed an eye as he barked, "What are you doing? I told you to…"

"I brought you this," Regulus offered, "Maybe it'll help you feel better."

The color returned to Sirius' cheeks and his eyes softened. He was speechless for a moment before whispering, "Thanks, Reg."

"I thought it would help you feel better," Regulus shyly said.

"Thanks," Sirius murmured, "It means a lot."

Sirius barely came out of his room for the rest of the week. On the second night, Regulus asked Kreacher to prepare him more soup. Surprisingly, the house-elf refused, saying that their mother had forbidden it. Regulus supposed that she would know more about Healing than he would. He certainly didn't want to give Sirius anything that would make him sicker.

Regulus was finally heading down to dinner on the seventh day, when he heard his mother knock on Sirius' door and say, "Aren't you coming to dinner? You must be hungry."

The illness might have thinned his brother but it didn't break his spirit. Sirius flopped into the chair next to Regulus and eagerly ate the roast. He ate seconds and then thirds. Regulus was secretly pleased. Sirius often complained about Kreacher's cooking.

"Honestly, Sirius," Orion growled, "If you're going to eat like a dog, you can continue to stay in your room."

Sirius muttered something through a mouthful of beef.

"I didn't hear you."

Sirius swallowed and clearly said, "I said 'I'm sorry, Father. I didn't mean to be rude.'"

"That's better."

Sirius reached for the last roll but their mother whisked it away. Walburga then handed it to Regulus, cooing, "Eat up, my meilleur fils_. _You need your strength."

Sirius' smile faded and his eyes tilted.

"All right, Sirius?" Regulus concernedly asked.

"Yeah."

"Still ill?"

"I'm fine."

Regulus tore the roll in half, handing Sirius a piece.

Sirius' mouth twitched but he muttered, "No thanks, Reg."

"Go on!" Regulus insisted, pushing it towards him.

Sirius pushed it back and flatly said, "I'm not hungry."


	19. Chapter 19

Author's Note: Hello, everyone. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to upload on Tuesday! This week has been very busy; I moved in to my new college and have been busy getting used to the campus/courses. To make up for missing the update-date, I will post four chapters!

Also…I want to give a huge shout-out to Majerus! Thank you so much for the bundle of reviews today! It was amazing! I logged on to make sure that I was going to be posting the right chapter number. Imagine my delight when I realized that I had gone from twenty-nine reviews to forty-two! It made my day! Seriously, thank you so much!

Chapter Nineteen

"Three…two…one…go!"

Sirius wearily raised his wand. Once again, he found himself dueling his brother. The two had fallen into a rhythm; a dance of sorts. They would throw spells at one another, purposely missing, while the other one did a fantastic job at pretending to jump out of the way. Sirius would eventually stomp his foot twice, a giveaway. He would send the hex straight towards his brother, who would pull up a shield and send it back.

Regulus always reluctantly won. Their father would nod at him in approval before leaving Sirius to tend to his wounds. Sometimes, he was knocked unconscious. Other times, he merely had a few bruises and cuts. Still, it wasn't fun. It wasn't ever fun.

The ten-year-old sighed and roared, "EXPELLIARMUS!"

Regulus dove out of the way and the spell exploded against the wall.

His brother straightened up and cried, "Fernunculus!"

Sirius rolled out of the way and cried, "Rictu—"

"Immobulus!"

Sirius gave a start as Regulus slashed his wand through the air. All at once, he couldn't move. It was as if somebody had glued him to the spot. His eyes frantically darted around before glancing at his brother. He couldn't talk. He could only stare as Regulus lifted his wand.

"STUPEFY!" Regulus shrieked.

Sirius roared out as the spell hit him. He had been hit by his own rebounded spells before but this was different. The power of his brother's spell was tenfold. He found himself flying through the air. He hit the wall with an unsettling crack and was plunged into darkness.

When he finally came to, he realized that the attic was empty. He stumbled to his feet, his body aching with pain. His eyes stung and he quickly blinked. He touched the back of his head and felt something wet and sticky.

He was abruptly overcome with anger. Regulus hexed him! His brother intentionally hexed him! He stomped down to the fourth floor and crashed into his brother's room.

He tried to remain calm but ended up blurting out, "What the hell, Regulus!?"

Surprisingly, Regulus wasn't on his bed or at his desk. Sirius flushed, realizing that he might have just screamed at an empty room. He started out before hesitating. He went over to the wardrobe and pulled the door open. Regulus tumbled out.

"I'm sorry!" Regulus immediately gasped, "I'm so sorry!"

"You hexed me!"

"I didn't mean…"

"DIDN'T MEAN IT?" Sirius roared, "YOU DELIBERATELY HEXED ME!"

"I'M SORRY!"

"We had a plan!" Sirius cried, "We've had a plan for years!"

"You would've have taken the hex anyway," Regulus glumly pointed out, "I was just making it a bit more convincing for Father."

"Yeah," Sirius muttered, "Well…you certainly looked convincing."

Regulus frowned and quietly asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just…stay away from me."

Sirius backed away, feeling rather fearful of his little brother. The boy who was now staring at him with sparkling, pleading, eyes was entirely different from the one that raised his wand several minutes ago. Regulus had looked vicious…he had looked like their father.

Sirius shakily entered his room and closed the door. A sharp screech caused him to jump.

A tawny owl was sitting on one of his bedposts. Feathers and droppings littered the floor beneath it. Sirius smirked as he imagined Kreacher having to clean the mess. He crossed the room and curiously took an envelope from the owl's beak.

His eyes widened as he gazed upon the purple seal. Somebody had taken the time to press a stamp into the wax. A lion, a snake, a badger, and an eagle surrounded a golden 'H'.

Sirius eagerly turned the envelope over and read:

_Mr. Sirius Black_

_The Bedroom on the Left_

_Fourth Floor_

_12 Grimmauld Place_

_London_

"REGULUS!"

He turned on his heel and raced back into his brother's room. Regulus was sitting on the edge of his mattress, looking absolutely miserable.

"Reg," Sirius gasped, "L…"

"I'm sorry," Regulus burst out, "I really am!"

"Huh?"

It took Sirius a moment to realize that Regulus was still talking about their duel.

"Forget about that," Sirius dismissively said, "Look!"

He brandished the envelope and his brother slowly said, "Brilliant…an envelope."

"An envelope from Hogwarts," Sirius cried.

His brother's jaw dropped.

"I think…it has to be my letter," Sirius whispered, "I'm turning elven in three weeks; I'll be able to go in September."

"September?" Regulus squeaked, "That's so soon."

Sirius ripped open the envelope and a heavy piece of parchment fell into his hand. He read aloud:

_Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

"Mother and Father have talked about Dumbledore," Regulus interrupted, "Isn't he supposed to be a bit off his rocker?"

"I think so," Sirius agreed.

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Chief. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump,_

"What's a Mugwump?" Regulus asked.

"No idea."

_International Confederation of Wizards)_

_Dear Mr. Black,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

Regulus gave a small squeal and Sirius beamed.

_Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress_

"Wicked," Regulus whispered, "But what does 'await your owl' mean?"

"I dunno," Sirius admitted, "Maybe we have to give them Taurus?"

"Good riddance," Regulus muttered, "I never liked him."

Sirius grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill from Regulus' desk. He quickly jotted down a message. They went down to the second floor, where the large owl was sitting in his cage. He gave a menacing screech and bit at them.

"Ouch!" Sirius cried, "Stop it! You stupid bird!"

He glanced down at his letter, proofreading it:

_Professor McGonagall,_

_I don't know why you want my owl but here he is. His name's Taurus. Be careful; he bites! Since I'm giving you my owl, do you mind if I take yours? She's really nice. She didn't bite me at all. I think I'll name her Aphrodite. Unless she already has a name? _

_Thanks,_

_Sirius Black_

"Sounds good," Regulus declared, reading over his shoulder.

His brother helped him tie the letter to Taurus' leg. They opened the window and the bird screeched at them before flying away.

"Good riddance," Regulus repeated.

They went back to his room and Sirius glanced at the supply list.

"Where are you going to get all of that?" Regulus wondered.

"We're going to Uncle Alphard's this weekend," Sirius replied, "He can take me to Diagon Alley. Just think…I'll be able to get my own wand!"

At that moment, they heard a wretched shriek.

Both brothers glanced at each other before racing downstairs.

The shriek had come from the drawing room. Their mother was sitting on the couch. One hand was sprawled across her face. The other was tightly holding a piece of parchment.

"Mother, what's wrong?" Regulus gasped.

He crossed over and took her arm. Sirius remained in the doorway.

"Your wretched cousin," Walburga screeched.

"Which one?" Sirius muttered.

Ordinarily, he would be reprimanded for the joke.

Instead, his mother howled, "Andromeda! She…she eloped."

"What?" Sirius snorted.

His face fell as he realized that she wasn't amused.

"To a Muggle-Born!" Walburga spat.

Sirius couldn't believe it! He knew that Andromeda never fit into the mold of their family but to elope to a Muggle-Born? That was bold, even for her!

"Only three months after graduating from Hogwarts!"

"Speaking of Hogwarts," Sirius spoke up, "I—"

"How could she do this to us?" Walburga wildly continued.

"Us?" Sirius repeated.

"Our family!"

"Oh."

"There's only one thing to do," Walburga decided, "Yes…it must be done."

"What must be done?" Sirius nervously asked.

His mother withdrew her wand and Sirius immediately tensed. He felt his hair stand on end as his defensive charge crackled. He then realized that there was no need. Walburga had no intention of using the wand on him. Instead, she crossed over to the tapestry of the family tree.

BOOM

Sirius and Regulus both jumped as she let out a single spell. Sirius peered around her and his heart sank. A burn mark was in the spot where Andromeda's face had been. Sirius had received many lectures about their family tree and the tapestry that represented it. The burn mark was the official mark of disowning one from the family.

"You can't!" Sirius burst out.

"Silence!" Walburga shrieked.

"But she's still our cousin," Sirius argued, "She's still your niece."

"She is no niece of mine!" Walburga screeched.

She started out but Sirius quickly said, "Wait! Who did she end up marrying?"

"Ted Tonks," Walburga spat, as if it was the most disgusting name in the world.

She slammed the door behind her.

"Are you going to tell her about your letter?" Regulus whispered.

Sirius gazed at him, slightly amused, before saying, "I don't think now's the best time."

"Right."

Sirius hesitated, digging his toe into the ground. He really wanted to talk to his cousin. He had so many questions, not just about her actions, but about the motives behind them. Did she hate their family? Because…Sirius kind of did. It was a horrible thought and he didn't know how to cope with it. He certainly didn't hate Regulus. However, he had hated his parents since his seventh birthday. Since then, he had questioned everything. Did they really know best, as they boldly declared during their lessons? Were Muggles really bad? They couldn't be that bad if Andromeda married someone with Muggle parents? And from what he saw, Muggles were just like them. Except for the magic, of course. Lately, his parents had been talking about a resistance. The leader of the resistance had a really weird name. Sirius couldn't remember it. Nevertheless, he knew that the resistance hated Muggles. They killed Muggles. He didn't think that was very fair. Yet, his parents assured him that the leader had the right idea. Youth…en…Asia, they called it. Or something like that. He didn't like that word. It caused a chill to creep up his spine whenever they brought it up. Were they right? Sirius knew that he was supposed to trust his parents. But was it hard! It was so hard…

"Sirius," Regulus exclaimed, "Hullo? Earth to Sirius!?"

"Ted Tonks, right?" Sirius muttered.

"Yes?" Regulus slowly said, "Err…why?"

Sirius took a deep breath and said, "Go up to your room, Reg."

"What?"

"Get out of here."

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to do something bad," Sirius explained, "And I don't want you to get in trouble. Go to your room, alright?"

Regulus hesitated before complying.

Sirius turned around and grabbed a handful of powder from the pot on the mantel. He threw it across the hearth, stepped into the green flames, and cried, "Ted Tonks' house!"

He was whirling, spinning, crashing…

"Sirius?"

He dazedly blinked.

He was kneeling in a small living room. Moving boxes lined the floor. His cousin raced over and crouched next to him.

"'lo, Andy," Sirius murmured, "Congratulations."

Andromeda smiled and helped him up.

Sirius carefully surveyed her and she sighed, "I suppose you've heard? I'd introduce you to Ted but he's at his parents' house, getting the rest of the boxes."

"You've been burned," Sirius quietly said, "You're officially disowned."

If Andromeda was upset, she didn't show it.

Instead, she simply said, "I figured something like that would happen."

"Aren't you upset?" Sirius asked, "Won't you miss us?"

"Of course I will," Andromeda explained, "But I couldn't do it anymore, Sirius. I couldn't pretend to be someone that I'm not. I couldn't take all of the fascist, prejudiced, views."

She paused and quickly said, "I'm sorry. You're too young to…"

"No, it's alright," Sirius thoughtfully said, "I understand."

He hesitated before saying, "I don't want to be like Mother and Father."

Andromeda sympathetically smiled.

"I don't like what they're saying about Muggles," Sirius admitted.

It felt wonderful to admit everything. It was as if a weight was being lifted from his chest.

"They're following some sort of resistance," Sirius explained, "And that resistance is doing really bad things to Muggles. I don't like it. It's terrifying."

His cousin's smile had fallen.

"They're terrifying," Sirius whispered.

He realized that his heart was thundering and his eyes were stinging.

"Oh, Sirius," Andromeda softly said, "You're too young to be worrying about such things. I'm so sorry."

"But that's not what I'm afraid of," Sirius croaked, "I'm afraid that I'm going to be just like them. I don't want to be, mind you. But what if it's in our blood?"

"Well," Andromeda mused, "I got out."

"Yeah," Sirius admitted, "You did."

He hesitated before saying, "Don't you worry about Bellatrix and Narcissa, though? I mean…hypothetically…do you worry about your siblings becoming like your parents?"

Once again, Andromeda said, "Oh, Sirius…"

She crouched down and gently said, "I know that you want to protect Regulus…"

"I do protect him," Sirius interjected, "I protect him every day. But, I got my Hogwarts letter today and…"

"You got your Hogwarts letter?" Andromeda interrupted, "That's wonderful!"

She straightened up and cried, "We must celebrate. Come…I'll make some tea!"

"No, that's alright," Sirius quickly said, "I have to get back."

Her face fell and she asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Sirius sighed, "I don't want Mother or Father to find out that I visited you."

He hesitated and added, "No offence."

"None taken."

She gave him a quick hug and he leapt back through the flames.

He emerged in the drawing room and quickly snuffed out the flames. He collapsed into the armchair and heard a soft hoot. The tawny owl had found him. He had forgotten about her.

He reached up and gently stroked her head. It occurred to him that he had never actually told Andromeda why he was so upset. He protected Regulus every single day. He protected his brother from the punishments. He protected his brother from the shrieking and the hissing. He protected his brother from the nasty viewpoints.

But he was leaving for Hogwarts in a few weeks.

Who would protect Regulus when he was gone?


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

"Reg, wake up."

Regulus blinked awake at his brother's quiet whisper.

He immediately tensed. Sirius had been rather distant since their last duel.

"Wanna go on an adventure?" Sirius gleefully asked.

"What adventure?" Regulus yawned.

"Father's been sneaking out."

"Huh?"

"A few nights a week," Sirius continued, "He sneaks off around midnight."

Regulus frowned and muttered, "It's hardly sneaking if he's an adult."

"It is if Mother doesn't know about it," Sirius pointed out.

"How do you know that she doesn't know?" Regulus asked.

"He waits until she's asleep," Sirius explained, "And he tiptoes out of the room."

"You were spying on him?" Regulus cried.

"I was curious."

Regulus still frowned and Sirius added, "Don't pretend that you're not."

"Father's business is his own," Regulus mumbled, turning over to face the wall, "And anyway, you could have told me this in the morning. You didn't have to wake me up!"

"He just left," Sirius quietly said.

Regulus lifted his head and Sirius calmly said, "So…wanna go on an adventure?"

"We shouldn't," Regulus whispered.

"Of course we _shouldn't_," Sirius agreed, "Now, come on."

Regulus hesitated before stuffing his feet into his slippers. His brother grinned and jerked his head. The two crept downstairs and slipped outside. The summer night was warm and humid; the air was uncomfortably stiff. Flies buzzed around the streetlights.

"There he is," Sirius murmured, "He just turned the corner."

They quickened their pace and Regulus whispered, "Why would he walk? Why not just take the Floo or Apparate?"

"Mother can smell Floo Powder," Sirius pointed out.

"And I suppose that Apparating is too loud," Regulus admitted.

Sirius nodded and muttered, "Come on. We're losing him."

They followed Orion through the neighborhoods and into the busier part of London. At one point, he turned and the brothers dove behind a dumpster. Sirius pressed against Regulus, his eyes wide and alert. At long last, his brother peered around the edge and nodded. It was all clear.

The two started forward, occasionally hiding for good measure.

They rounded the corner and immediately halted. Their father towered over them. Half of his face was illuminated in the glow of the streetlight; the other half was hidden in shadows.

Nevertheless, the boys immediately understood his expression.

Sirius' hand found Regulus' shoulder.

"Father," Sirius croaked.

"What do you think you're doing?" Orion hissed.

"W…we…" Regulus stammered, "We…we were j…just…"

"You first," Sirius quietly said.

"What did you say?" Orion growled.

"You first," Sirius repeated, "What are you doing?"

"I am going for a stroll," Orion declared.

Regulus found his voice, "So are we."

"Are you?"

His father's whisper sent a chill down Regulus' spine. He trembled and swallowed. He could feel Sirius' defensive charge emerge. His own was stirring.

"Yes," Sirius simply said, "We are."

"I suggest," Orion slowly hissed, "That you two return to your bedrooms."

A tense moment passed. Orion glared at them and Sirius returned it. Regulus tried to maintain the same level of intimidation, but he found himself nervously glancing back and forth between his brother and his father.

"Fine," Sirius finally bit.

Sirius' grip tightened on his shoulder and his brother steered him away. Regulus let out a small sigh of relief. They entered 12 Grimmauld Place and hurried up to the fourth floor.

"Don't worry," Sirius whispered, "He's not going to punish us."

"How do you know?" Regulus shot back, "I never should have followed you."

"He can't punish us," Sirius patiently said, "If he does, Mother will ask why."

Regulus eyes widened and he hissed, "You can't blackmail Father!"

His brother's eyes glinted as he said, "Watch me."

oOo

Regulus spent most of the next day in his room. He wasn't forced to do so; he simply didn't want to face his father. Nevertheless, his stomach finally gave in and he went down for dinner. Besides, he wanted to see Sirius. It was his brother's last night. The mere thought caused his stomach to sadly twist. When he entered the dining room, his stomach twisted for a different reason. Orion and Sirius were subtly glaring at each other.

"So," Orion finally said, "Off to Hogwarts tomorrow. I expect you to uphold the Black family name. The consequences of not doing so are…severe."

Regulus swallowed a mouthful of steak. He didn't want his brother to be burned.

Sirius didn't look that deterred.

In fact, his brother leaned forward and coyly said, "That's an interesting cologne you're wearing, Father. It smells like the perfume that the shopkeeper down the street wears."

Orion's eyes sharpened and Sirius smirked.

Regulus glanced back and forth. What did perfume have to do with anything?

"You're telling me to uphold the Black legacy," Sirius laughed, "Try doing it yourself."

"How dare you speak to your father that way!" Walburga screeched, "Go to your room!"

"Fine!" Sirius snapped.

He leapt up and angrily cried, "Do you know what I'm looking forward to the most tomorrow? Getting away from this family!"

Regulus eyes widened as he stomped away.

He swallowed. Sirius didn't mean that. He couldn't mean that.

Regulus was still upset the next morning when Uncle Alphard arrived to take Sirius to Platform 9 ¾. He had been the one to take Sirius to Diagon Alley a few weeks ago.

Regulus sulkily entered his brother's room and whispered, "Did you mean it?"

Sirius turned around, attempting to stuff the last pieces of his clothes into his trunk.

"Did you mean what you said?" Regulus quietly asked, "About wanting to get away from the family?"

Sirius' shoulders fell and he softly replied, "I didn't mean you."

Regulus stared at him, waiting for an explanation.

And yet, Sirius didn't give him one.

He never did.

Instead, Sirius earnestly said, "I'm going to miss you, Reg."

"I'm going to miss you, too," Regulus croaked.

His brother stepped forward and rested his forehead against his. Regulus immediately felt better. Still, he ended up wiping his eyes on the back of his sleeve as he watched his brother descend the stairs with his trunk crashing behind him.

oOo

His parents were screaming.

Regulus drew his knees to his chest, miserable and afraid.

They had been screaming all day.

They weren't exactly screaming at each other. Rather, they were both screaming about the situation.

"Oh, Sirius," Regulus sadly whispered, "What have you done?"

He flinched at every angry footstep. He could hear smashing and clanging; he was quite certain that the teacups were being thrown.

His parents had a right to be angry. Instead of following the centuries-old Black family tradition, Sirius had been placed in Gryffindor. It was appalling. His parents had decided that he wouldn't be burned. However, he was going to be punished. Severely.

Regulus sniffed and repeated, "What have you done?"

He jumped at a tap on his window.

"Sirius?"

It wasn't his brother, as he had wildly thought for a moment, but rather his brother's owl.

Regulus jumped up and let her in.

She flew once around the room before dropping a letter and flying away.

Regulus nervously opened it. A small photograph fell out. Sirius was dressed in a Gryffindor uniform, smiling and waving. He unfolded a piece of parchment and read:

_Regulus,_

_I guess you've heard? I reckon Mother and Father are screaming their arses off. It's true; I got sorted into Gryffindor. It's honestly not that bad. The common room's decent and the beds are as soft as Aphrodite's feathers. Feed her a biscuit, will you? If she hasn't flown away, that is. Anyway, I know that you're probably disappointed and upset. I'm sorry. But__ I__promise__ that this doesn't change anything. Alright? You're still my brother. That'll never change._

_Love,_

_Sirius_

_P.S. The food is wonderful! Don't tell Kreacher._

Regulus thought about crumpling up the piece of parchment. In the end, he carefully placed it in his desk drawer. He held onto the letter for years. He held onto the promise.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

Regulus wasn't talking to him.

At first, Sirius had thought that his new owl had been losing the letters. He had eventually realized that Regulus wasn't writing back. He often found himself wondering if their parents were preventing Regulus from writing or if his brother was doing so on his own accord.

Despite worrying about his brother, Sirius was happier than ever.

For the first time in his life, he was free!

He had decided early on that being sorted into Gryffindor was the best thing that had ever happened to him. From the very first night, he had made three amazing friends. James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. The Marauders, they called themselves. Sirius had been amazed to see that their parents were loving and their home-lives was great. Well, Remus once remarked that his father had left but he happily lived with his mother.* James' parents were amazing. They had sent all four boys presents on Christmas. Sirius had been stunned to realize that his friends' parents gave them presents on their birthdays. He had always assumed that this was merely something siblings did. Sirius had the sneaking suspicion that James had mentioned his own home-life to his parents. He had tried to hide as much of it as possible but James could always see right through him. The angry letters from his parents hadn't help. Nevertheless, he hadn't confessed anything and they hadn't asked.

And what a wonderful time they had!

Not a day went by when they weren't pulling some sort of prank. They became regulars in Professor McGonagall's office. By the end of the year, the Deputy Headmistress had set out their favorite sweets for them to enjoy as she sternly reprimanded them. If his parents knew what trouble he was getting into…

But he didn't care! He didn't care!

For the first time in his life, he had a home.

He had been more than sad to leave at the end of the term. An entire summer had been spent babbling to Regulus about their countless adventures. Regulus had politely listened, though Sirius had noticed a hint of jealousy in his brother' eyes. Or perhaps it was more than jealousy? Perhaps it was envy? Regulus had eventually gotten his own letter and the two brothers soon found themselves boarding the Hogwarts Express.

"I'm so excited," Sirius whispered.

"Really?" Regulus croaked, "Because my legs feel like jelly."

"You'll be fine," Sirius assuredly said.

"Sirius!"

"Oi!"

"Over here, mate!"

He looked up and beamed.

James, Remus, and Peter pushed their way down the corridor.

"We have a compartment in the back," James breathlessly said, "Oh, hullo!"

"You must be Regulus," Remus kindly said.

"Where'd you get that scar?" Regulus curiously asked.

Sirius angrily thwacked him on the back of his head. He, James, and Peter had secretly wondered about Remus' scars but they had agreed to never ask.

"I was just curious," Regulus mumbled, rubbing his head.

Remus smoothly said, "Broomstick mishap."

The train lurched and began to move.

"Come along," James said, jerking his head.

Sirius went to follow but realized that Regulus hadn't moved.

He turned and asked, "Coming?"

"I think I'll sit by myself," Regulus explained, "I want to catch up on some reading."

"Reading?" Sirius dubiously repeated.

He had gone through a growth spurt over the summer. He was now a good six inches taller than Regulus. His brother gazed up at him and meekly said, "Yes."

Sirius frowned and muttered, "Alright."

He knew that Regulus didn't want to be seen around other Gryffindors. For a while, he had hoped that his brother would follow in his footsteps and ask the Sorting Hat to place him in Slytherin. The dream had quickly withered away and had been replaced by reality.

"It was nice meeting you," Peter kindly said.

He followed the other Marauders and left Regulus standing in the corridor.

The four spent the train-ride playing a rowdy game of Exploding Snap. Unfortunately, Sirius' heart wasn't into it.

"We're nearly there," Remus spoke up, "We should change into our robes."

"Yeah," Sirius murmured.

"Alright?" James asked.

"Fine," Sirius brightly said.

James carefully surveyed him but didn't say anything. Sirius truly appreciated that.

The train came to a screeching halt and they leapt onto the platform. Sirius spotted Hagrid—the kind groundskeeper—leading Regulus and a small group away from the crowd. He called his brother's name but Regulus didn't hear him. The Marauders made their way up a cobblestone path where several driverless carriages were waiting.

"Do we just…get in?" Peter asked.

Remus nodded and murmured, "I think so."

They climbed into one and James awkwardly cried, "Err…forward, march!"

The carriage started forward, though Sirius didn't think that it was by James' command.

He stuck his head out the window, like an excited dog, and watched as the castle unfolded before his eyes. It was a breathtaking view.

Giddy with excitement, he leapt from the carriage before it had completely slowed down.

"Sirius!" James exclaimed, "What are you doing?"

Sirius raced forward and pushed the double oak doors. They swung open, revealing the magnificent Entrance Hall. His smile widened and he spun on his toe, taking it all in.

He was home.

The other three came up behind him, grinning from ear to ear.

They started towards the Great Hall but Sirius stopped in his tracks as he peered into a small room. The first-years were huddled together. Regulus was in the midst of the crowd, trying and failing to look brave. Sirius sympathetically smiled and entered, interrupting Professor McGonagall's speech about the four houses.

She looked up and sharply said, "Mister Black, you may follow the other students into the Great Hall."

"In a minute, Professor," Sirius promised.

He put his hand on Regulus shoulder and the two rested their foreheads together.

"Alright?" Sirius whispered.

"Gerroff," Regulus chuckled, "Honestly, I'm trying to look somewhat confident."

Sirius smirked and pulled away.

"Thanks," Regulus muttered.

"No problem," Sirius softly said, "Good luck."

He turned and cheerfully cried, "Carry on, Professor."

He entered the Great Hall and joined the other Marauders at the Gryffindor table. A Prefect entered a few minutes later, carrying a stool with a hat on top. Sirius barely paid attention to the Sorting Hat's song. He impatiently tapped his foot as the other students were sorted.

He only looked up when Professor McGonagall crisply said, "Black, Regulus."

He watched as Regulus approached the stool and sat down. The hat was dropped over his eyes and Regulus gripped the stool. Sirius knew that he was hearing the small voice in his ear.

Sirius half-rose from his seat but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. James gave him a sympathetic smile. Sirius sat down, realizing that there was nothing that he could do.

By now, an entire minute had passed.

Sirius smiled, as if the verdict had already been declared.

Another minute passed.

Then a third.

Finally, the hat came to life and a single word echoed though the hall:

_**"SLYTHERIN!"**_

Sirius nodded and James squeezed his shoulder. And yet, despite his sorrow, Sirius continued to smile as Regulus took the hat off and raced over to the table clad in green and grey.

"Sorry, mate," Remus murmured.

Sirius waved his hand and remarked, "Ah, I knew that he was going to get sorted into Slytherin."

His friends stared at him, unable to hide their confusion.

"Then," Peter whispered, "Why are you smiling?"

"Because," Sirius proudly said, "The hat hesitated."

*I know that a new article recently came out on Pottermore which states that Remus actually grew up with loving parents. However, I've had a headcanon for years that his father walked out because he couldn't handle the fact that his son was a werewolf.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

"Does Master Regulus like his stuffing?"

Regulus swallowed and cried, "It's great, Kreacher!"

The house-elf beamed and served him some more.

Regulus had loved the food at Hogwarts but there was something about Kreacher's cooking that was irresistible.

"Pass the dinner rolls?" Sirius asked.

Regulus reached for them but their mother abruptly grabbed the plate.

Sirius groaned and exasperatedly asked, "What'd I do this time?"

"I got a very interesting letter today," Walburga declared, "Concerning you."

Regulus glanced at Sirius. His brother looked just as confused as he was.

"Well, it can't be from Hogwarts," Sirius replied, "Term doesn't start until tomorrow."

"It's from a Ms. Lupin," Walburga finished.

The blood drained from Sirius' face.

He slowly set down his fork and asked, "And…what did it say?"

"It was a lovely letter," Walburga coolly explained, "Explaining that you recently discovered that Lupin was a werewolf."

Regulus' breakfast went down the wrong hole. He choked, utterly shocked at this information. Sirius' eyes widened and his mouth thinned.

Their mother continued, "And she wanted to reassure me that you weren't in any danger and that if we had any questions, to not hesitate to come over for tea."

Regulus finally managed to swallow. He took a large gulp of water. Remus Lupin was a werewolf? _Remus Lupin_ of all people? Orion and Walburga were furiously staring at Sirius. His brother didn't say anything and instead calmly took another bite of chicken.

"Sirius…" Orion hissed, "Are you acquaintances with a werewolf?"

"Technically," Sirius muttered, "I'm best friends with a werewolf."

Orion's hand flew through the air and struck Sirius' cheek. He reeled back but didn't look surprised. Regulus, on the other hand, cried out in shock.

"You will cease this friendship," Orion growled, "At once."

"No," Sirius remarked, "I won't."

"That is an _order_, Sirius!" Orion roared.

By now, they had both leapt to their feet.

"No," Sirius snapped, "Remus Lupin is like a brother to me."

For a split second, Regulus felt a surge of jealously.

"I'm not ending that," Sirius continued, "Just because you two are too narrow-minded to look past your bigoted views."

Orion took a step forward but paused. It was just as well. Even from across the room, Regulus could feel the static from his brother's defensive charge.

The silver china on the rack abruptly shattered.

Walburga screamed as Orion leapt back.

Sirius triumphantly smiled and turned on his heel, stomping away.

"KREACHER!" Walburga screeched, "CLEAN THIS MESS AT ONCE!"

"You don't have to yell, Mother," Regulus quietly said, "He's right there."

Walburga glared at him and he defensively put his hands up, returning to his dinner.

His mind was buzzing. Sirius was best friends with a werewolf. It was bad enough that James, Remus, and Peter were Gryffindors. It was bad enough that Remus was extremely poor and was a half-blood. But a _werewolf_. He wasn't even human. Well…he was, but at the same time…Oh, Sirius. What have you done? Regulus sat in silence at his parents furiously hissed at one another. He went from being confused to being terrified. Sirius was going to be severely punished for this. He had never seen his father look so angry. What if they disowned him? Regulus felt his fear melt into anger. Honestly, just how stupid was Remus' mother? Why would she write something like that? Did she _want_ her son's best friend to be disowned? Unless she didn't know about their family. She was a Muggle, after all. She wouldn't know about the Blacks. But surely Sirius told the his friend everything. Surely they knew that their family had a prejudice against werewolves. But why _would_ Sirius tell them? The more Regulus thought about it, the more he realized that Sirius wouldn't. There was a reason that he barely acknowledged Regulus at Hogwarts and vice versa. There was a reason that he didn't talk about his friends at home. He kept them separate. Which, Regulus realized, was probably best.

He pushed his plate away and murmured, "May I be excused?"

His parents didn't hear him. They were too busy talking about how Sirius had disgraced the family and what should be done.

"May I be excused?" Regulus loudly asked.

They still ignored him. He sighed and excused himself. His mind buzzed as he walked up to his bedroom. Remus Lupin was a werewolf. He wondered how many people knew. He wondered if Sirius had known all along. And if not, when had he found out? Regulus' frown deepened. He knew that his friends would be falling head-over-heels for this information. He would be the king of the common room if he told everyone. But still…Remus Lupin was a Gryffindor but he seemed fairly harmless. At least, he _did_. Then again, he was a monster. A part of Regulus felt bad at this thought, but he was. Well…at least once a month. The rest of the time, Regulus supposed that he was a human. And he always seemed so mild-mannered. Sarcastic to no end but mild-mannered. Snape, Avery, Macnair, Mulciber…they would love the information but for the wrong reasons. They would tell everyone. They would ruin his life.

Regulus had reached the top of the steps. He found himself knocking on his brother's door. Sirius immediately opened it. His cheek was still red but he seemed fine otherwise.

"Hey," Regulus muttered.

"Hey," Sirius remarked.

"So, is it true?" Regulus asked.

It was a hypothetical question; he knew that it was.

"Yeah," Sirius sighed, "I found out a few weeks ago."

Regulus nodded, glancing at a spot on the carpet.

It was a moment before he asked, "Who knows?"

"Me, James, Peter," Sirius said, "Like I said, we found out a few weeks ago. Remus and his parents, obviously. Madam Pomfrey. Dumbledore. McGonagall. A few other professors. I think that Lily Evans may know but if she does, she's not letting on. And now you and them."

He jerked his head towards the stairs.

"That's it?"

"Yeah, that's it," Sirius glumly replied, "Nobody else knows."

Regulus swallowed before quietly saying, "Then…they won't hear it from me."

Sirius was unable to hide his shock. His eyes widened and he tilted his head. Then, his face broke out into a small smile and he nodded.

Regulus returned the nod and meekly asked, "So, are we alright?"

"What do you mean?"

Regulus chose his words very carefully, "Lately, it seems that…well…since you were sorted into Gryffindor…we've been distant. And I just want to know…I…I don't want things to change between us, Sirius."

"Things have already been changing," Sirius gravely pointed out.

"I know," Regulus admitted, "And I hate it."

When he realized that Sirius wasn't going to reply, he asked, "Do you ever wish that you had been sorted into Slytherin?"

"Not at all," Sirius replied, "I love Gryffindor."

"And the…what do you call yourselves…the Marauders?" Regulus quietly asked.

"Yeah," Sirius admiringly said, "They're like my brothers."

He stopped and exasperatedly closed his eyes.

Regulus frowned and he quickly said, "I didn't mean—"

"I know what you meant," Regulus muttered.

He felt a sourness in the pit of his stomach. He hated the feeling but it came up whenever the Marauders were mentioned around him.

"Do you ever regret not being together?" Regulus asked.

"Sure, I do," Sirius earnestly said, "I really wish that you had been in Gryffindor but…"

"Gryffindor?" Regulus interjected, "No, you should have been sorted into Slytherin!"

He was alarmed by his brother's suggestion. Him? A Gryffindor?

"I _should_ have been," Sirius agreed, "But I chose not to."

"You chose?" Regulus angrily repeated, "Wait a minute…you _intentionally_ disgraced the family? Why would you do that?"

"Don't act like you weren't given a choice," Sirius snapped, "I saw how the Sorting Hat hesitated."

Regulus flushed.

Yes, it was true that the hat had hesitated.

"It was arguing with me," Regulus darkly chuckled, "Blimey, for a moment I thought that it wasn't going to listen."

"So, you chose Slytherin?"

"Of course," Regulus replied, "I wanted to please Mother and Father."

"And the hat wanted to put you in Gryffindor," Sirius murmured, "But in the end, it gave you your choice. You should have listened to it…"

"Oh, no," Regulus quickly said, "It didn't want to put me in Gryffindor."

Sirius blinked and asked, "Then…?"

"It wanted to put me in Hufflepuff," Regulus explained.

Hi brother looked thoughtful as he said, "Yeah…I can see that. You're absurdly loyal."

Regulus chuckled and Sirius added, "The question is…where your loyalties lie?"

Regulus hesitated before taking something from his pocket and tossing it to him. Sirius caught it, looking bewildered, before realizing that it was a dinner roll. His face broke out into another smile and Regulus returned it.

"You know," Sirius proudly said, "It takes a lot of bravery to be loyal."

"Goodnight, Sirius."

"'Night, Reg."


	23. Chapter 23

Author's Note: Hello, everyone. So…I'm typing along on my laptop, as I've done for the past two and a half years, when all of a sudden…my 'r' key decides that it wants to randomly stop working. As it is, to type this paragraph, I've had to go though and copy and paste an 'r' every time one is necessary. You'd be surprised how many times one uses the letter 'r' in their writing, especially when one of your main character's names is Regulus. And so, I must apologize for the typos that are bound to emerge, since I simply do not have enough time or patience to go though and make sure that every 'r' is where it belongs. As previously stated, my 's' key is also sticking. So…basically…the two keys on my keyboard that aren't working properly are the first letters of my main character's names. Once again, I am truly sorry. I am also sorry that I'm giving you a late update again. (Once again, I'm making up for it with four chapters!) College has been very busy.

Chapter Twenty-Three

_BANG! BANG! BANG!_

Sirius smirked as he used the hammer to drive the nail into the wall. He then stepped back, delightfully gazing at the large Gryffindor banner that was now hanging in his bedroom.

He had wanted to hang it up last summer but admittedly had been afraid. Today, the twelve-year-old was feeling rather spiteful. His parents had been most unpleasant in the days after the revelation of Remus' condition. They had cussed out his friends, had vehemently insulted Gryffindor, and had hexed him on more than one occasion. He couldn't wait to see their faces when they noticed the banner.

Or better yet…

Sirius' smirk widened as he got an idea. For years, he had worn uncomfortable trousers and scratchy shirts to breakfast. His parents had been quite insistent. Sirius snickered as he opened his trunk and changed into his Hogwarts robes. He even tied his striped tie.

"That'll show them," Sirius triumphantly muttered.

He whistled as he went downstairs.

Unfortunately, upon entering the dining room, he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Morning, Black," Snape slyly said.

He, Regulus, Mulciber, and Avery were sitting at the table.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Sirius snapped.

"I invited them," Regulus retorted.

"Where are Mummy and Daddy Dearest?" Sirius asked.

Regulus frowned at the nickname and said, "They've gone away for the weekend."

"Brilliant," Sirius cried, "I'm going to James'."

He stomped out without another word.

A quarter of an hour later, he was sitting in James' bedroom. The two were tossing a Dungbomb back and forth.

"So, he just invited them in?" James asked, "That's horrible."

"Tell me about it," Sirius muttered, "I dunno what to do."

He caught the Dungbomb and threw it back.

"Well," James softly said, "You're always welcome here."

"Thanks," Sirius sighed, "Blimey, I wish that I could live here."

He loved James' house. He had slept over many times. Far from the grimy neighborhood in the center of London, James and his parents lived in a large cottage out in the county. There was something so quaint, so peaceful, about it. At night, Sirius could look up and see a blanket of stars, even more than he could see at Uncle Alphard's house. During the day, he and James roamed the pastures and flew around on their broomsticks. They would return to the house upon smelling Mrs. Potter's delicious cooking. The Potters could afford dozens of house-elves. Yet, they didn't have a single one. Ms. Potter preferred to do the cooking and cleaning. When they couldn't eat another bite, the family would retreat to the living room. There were quiet moments—Mr. Potter, James, and Sirius might play a game of wizard's chess by the fire as Mrs. Potter curled up and read he favorite book. But it was never gravely quiet, like at Grimmauld Place. Somebody was always talking or laughing or humming. Eventually, Mrs. Potter might start playing the piano and Mr. Potter would strum his violin and Sirius and James would dance around and laugh…

"Sirius, watch it!"

Sirius swore as the Dungbomb exploded in his hand.

James snickered.

"Very funny," Sirius snorted, wiping away the mess.

"So, we know that you parents hate us," James said, pulling out another Dungbomb and throwing it, "What do they think of Regulus' fiends?"

"I dunno," Sirius admitted, tossing it back, "They weren't there."

"Wait," James quickly said, "They weren't there?"

"Nope," Sirius sighed, "They rarely are."

James looked thoughtful before yelping as the Dungbomb exploded.

"What's up?" Sirius eagerly asked, seeing the glint in his friend's eye.

"They aren't home," James mischievously explained, "Correct me if I'm wrong, mate, but doesn't that technically make you the temporary head of the household?"

Sirius stared at him for a moment before smirking.

oOo

Sirius walked into the dining room and boldly said, "Get out."

"You can't make us leave," Snape coolly replied.

"Sue he can," James laughed, coming up behind Sirius, "He's the head of the household."

"What ae you doing here?" Regulus angrily cried, "Get out."

"I invited him in," Sirius remarked, "And I'm kicking you friends out."

"You can't do that!" Regulus argued.

"Oh, no?" Sirius laughed, "KREACHER!"

The house-elf popped up next to him.

"Kick Regulus' fiends out," Sirius ordered.

"Don't do it, Kreacher," Regulus hastily said.

"Do it," Sirius demanded.

The house-elf looked back and forth, evidently conflicted.

"Kreacher," Sirius quietly said, "I am currently the head of the household. And I order you to remove them."

"Kreacher!" Regulus cried, "Don't! Please!"

"Do it, Kreacher!" Sirius exclaimed.

"No!"

"Kreacher!"

"Kreacher!"

"_Kreacher_!"

Kreacher abruptly snapped his fingers. Sirius watched, utterly fascinated, as Regulus' friends were lifted into the air. They clawed, kicked, and shouted, but were unable to get down. Instead, they floated out into the hallway. The main door flew open and suddenly, they were flying out onto the street. They landed in a pile, groaning and grumbling.

Sirius practically shrieked with laughter. James was doubled over.

"That was brilliant, Kreacher!" Sirius praised.

"I'm so sorry, Master Regulus," Kreacher grunted.

Regulus tuned to Sirius and growled, "You had no right!"

"Careful," Sirius taunted, "I'd mind you tone. Otherwise, I'll have you join them."

"You. Wouldn't. Dare."

Sirius merely smirked, completely bluffing. Of course he wouldn't dare.

He turned to James and apologetically added, "You ought to clear out of here as well. I don't want our parents seeing you."

James nodded and admitted, "Neither do I. I'll see you soon."

He walked past the group of Slytherins, laughing as he did so.

Sirius clapped his hands together and cried, "Alright, who's for pizza?"

"Pizza?" Regulus dubiously repeated.

"Yeah," Sirius chortled, "Pizza. It's made with dough, sauce, cheese, toppings…"

"I know what pizza is," Regulus snapped, "But we can't exactly call up a Muggle restaurant and have someone deliver a bloody pizza!"

"Why not?" Sirius asked.

"One," Regulus shortly said, "We don't have a phone. Two, I'm petty sue Mother and Father would kill us. Three, even if we wanted to, Muggles can't see the house. Four, we don't have any money. I mean…I suppose we can have Kreacher make one but…"

"…it'll taste like garbage," Sirius finished.

"I was going to say you've put him through enough," Regulus muttered.

Sirius acted as if he hadn't spoken, "There's a phone in the park. We can wait in front of the house. I have Muggle money. And I don't really give a damn what Mother and Father say."

Regulus glared at him but didn't say anything.

Sirius cheerfully dashed over to the park, noting that the Slytherins had disappeared. He ordered three large pizzas and a bottle of cream soda. A teenager with spots pulled up an hour later and handed over the food. Sirius happily carried the food inside.

"I'm against this," Regulus declared, accepting a piece and taking a bite, "And why are you wearing your robes?"

"Because Mother and Father hate them," Sirius pointed out.

"Perfect," Regulus sighed, "Are you _looking_ to get in trouble?"

Sirius took a bite and said, "Odds are, I would have gotten in trouble anyway."

"For what?"

"Exactly."

Sirius knew that his brother didn't understand. It was just as well.

Sirius knew that his parents would find any excuse to punish him. So, he figured that as long as he was going to be punished, he was going to enjoy what he was being punished for.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

The pork-roast simply wasn't as good as Kreacher's.

Regulus drowned it in gravy and took a bite.

"This is rubbish," Avery hissed, "A few weeks ago, I was being served filet mignon and lobster next to my parent's beach house. This is nothing more than a hamburger."

"It's not that bad," Regulus lied.

"Yes, it is," Mucliber muttered, "I say we go down to the kitchens and order the elves to prepare us something edible."

"I…err…alright," Regulus reluctantly muttered.

He anxiously followed his friends. He wasn't even sure where the kitchens were.

Evidently, they knew. They stopped next to a large painting of a fruit bowl. Avery reached up and tickled the pear, as though he often did this.

The painting swung open, revealing a room directly beneath the Great Hall. There were even four tables. Of course! The house elves put the food on the tables down here and used magic to make it disappear and appear on the tables above. Brilliant!

And speaking of house-elves…there had to be at least five hundred house-elves running about the room. Regulus saw a small room in back that was lined with bunk beds. They didn't look very comfortable, though he supposed that it was better than living beneath a rbroiler. He had once asked Kreacher if he was comfortable. The house-elf hadn't even hesitated before saying that he was, indeed, very comfortable, Young Master.

"You," Avery barked, "Cook me a lobster."

"Of course, sir!"

Regulus watched as a dozen house-elves scampered off and began to prepare the requested meal.

"And I'll have some shrimp," Mucliber decided, "Go on!"

Twelve more house-elves eagerly obeyed.

Mulciber turned to Regulus and added, "You?"

Regulus hesitated and said, "I'll have…erm…I dunno."

He stepped back as the house-elves swarmed around him, excitedly calling out foods.

"Alright," Regulus laughed, "Can I please have some ice-cream?"

Avery scoffed and said, "Don't waste your manners on them."

Without further ado, he kicked an elf across the room. He was completely unfazed.

Regulus was not.

His eyes widened and he cried, "Don't do that!"

"Why not?" Avery asked, "They're just servants."

He pointed to one and cried, "Fetch me a bib for my lobster. I won't be slobbering like a heathen. And you, melt some butter."

"Yes, sir."

"Of course."

"You, there!" Mulciber snapped, "Where is my shrimp?"

"Coming right up, sir!"

Regulus watched as the two boys carelessly threw orders around, occasionally swiping or kicking at the elves.

Finally, one of the house-elves came over and cried, "Your cake, sir."

"Thanks," Regulus muttered, "But I'm not that hungry."

He raised his voice and said, "I think I'll kip in early."

His friends paid him no mind.

Regulus slipped out of the room and climbed up to the Entrance Hall. He felt as though he was going to be sick. His parents were sometimes cruel to Kreacher but never that way.

"Alright, meilleur fils?"

Sirius was skipping down the marble staircase.

"Fine," Regulus grunted, "And stop calling me that!"

"Testy, testy," Sirius snickered.

Regulus rolled his eyes and asked, "Where are you off to?"

"Detention with Hagrid," Sirius gleefully said, "I hope he made fudge."

"Why do you have detention with Hagrid?"

His brother grinned and admitted, "Actually, it's a double-detention. I'm meeting James there. He should be leaving Quidditch practice any—"

"Why did you get the detention?" Regulus asked.

"We hexed Bertram Aubrey," Sirius explained, "The righteous git had it coming. He's the most pompous seventh year that I've ever—"

Regulus paled and asked, "Wait…you're the one who inflated his head? He said that he's going to be in the Hospital Wing for a week!"

"I know," Sirius laughed, "To be honest, we didn't even know what would happen. We took the spell from Sniv—"

"Why are you laughing?" Regulus interjected, "You sent somebody to the hospital!"

"The Hospital Wing," Sirius corrected, "And I'm laughing because it's funny! You should have seen the way he was running round, swearing and shouting and—oi!"

Regulus had started to walk away.

"Where are you going?"

"Bed," Regulus bit.

He had had enough bullies for one night.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

Sirius never thought that he would say it…but his father's 'lessons' might have actually come in handy. As autumn turned to winter, the students decided to pass their time by forming a new club…a Duelling Club. Once a week, the Great Hall was transformed into an arena. Dozens of students came to see their pupils fight. Even the professors stopped by to watch.

Sirius excelled at it.

It was amazing to be able to duel without having to take the fall. He dodged spells and sent them barreling back. He let out strings of hexes that caught everyone off guard. His defensive charge was always crackling. He never pushed it into balls of energy. He simply felt more powerful when it emerged. Powerful was a bit of an understatement. Sirius was at the top of the Alpha group, which was ordinarily for upperclassmen. Sirius was taking on seventeen year olds. And he was winning!

One blustery morning, he caused the last member of the Alpha group to crumple to the ground.

"Sirius Black is the winner!"

The other Marauders leapt onto the floor. James grabbed Sirius' hand and lifted his arm into the air. Sirius triumphantly grinned as the crowd's cheers grew to deafening levels. Even the professors animatedly clapped.

"Does this mean that he's the overall champion?" Peter squealed.

"Not yet," Professor Perkins corrected, "Sirius will have to duel the winner in the Beta group to determine the overall champion!"

"I'll duel him right now!" Sirius haughtily cried.

His friends beamed as another cheer rippled through the crowd.

"Who dares to face me?" Sirius exclaimed.

Professor Perkins glanced at the roll of parchment and cried, "Regulus Black!"

Regulus emerged from the crowd, his face blank.

Sirius' blood turned to ice.

He lowered his wand and muttered, "No."

"No?" Professor Perkins repeated, "What do you mean by that?"

"I'm not dueling him," Sirius said.

Professor Perkins blinked and cried, "You don't wish to duel him now?"

"I don't wish to duel him at all," Sirius declared, throwing his wand aside.

James picked it up and whispered, "Sirius, what are you doing?"

Murmurs swept through the crowd.

Professor Perkins adjusted his glasses and exclaimed, "Mister Black, if you choose to not fight…I am afraid that you will have to forfeit."

"Fine," Sirius snapped.

"F…fine?" Professor Perkins asked.

"I forfeit."

The Gryffindors groaned and angrily cried out.

"I forfeit as well," Regulus quietly spoke up.

By now, everyone was angrily murmuring.

"I…I don't understand," Professor Perkins spluttered, "The point of a dueling club is to fight one another."

"I'm not fighting him," Sirius growled.

"But…"

"I'm not fighting him!"

"But why—?"

"Blimey!" Sirius burst out, "Shut up, will you?"

"Mister Black!" Professor McGonagall cried, rising from her seat.

"Are you really that upset by the fact that student is refusing to fight another student?" Sirius angrily continued, ignoring Professor McGonagall, "The last time I checked, it was against the rules to be fighting students! And anyway, what…what kind of club is this!? Turning a bunch of kids against one another? It's barbaric. Children shouldn't be forced to fight one another."

He broke off, utterly frustrated.

Regulus softly agreed, "Children shouldn't be forced to fight one another."

Sirius stared at the professors, daring them to comment.

Not one of them did.

He snatched his wand from James' hand and stomped away.

He made it outside before Regulus caught up to him, calling his name.

"Are you okay?" Regulus murmured.

"Sure," Sirius sighed.

He continued walking. His brother fell into step next to him.

"At least Father hasn't made us duel in a while," Sirius finally said.

"Yeah," Regulus agreed, "Blimey, I think the last one was during your first Easter back."

"Yep," Sirius mumbled, "I didn't shoot a single spell. I didn't want to tarnish my wand."

The brothers stopped. They had reached the bank of the lake. With nowhere else to go, Sirius resignedly sat down. His brother followed suit.

The wind tousled their hair as Regulus whispered, "I always hated that lesson."

"It was a _game_," Sirius reminded him, his stomach churning with disgust.

"Whatever he called it," Regulus muttered, "It was horrible. I hated hexing you."

"Yeah, well…" Sirius replied, "I hated being hexed."

"But that's something that I never understood," Regulus whispered, "If you hated it so much…why didn't you hex me back?"

"I couldn't," Sirius remarked, "I just…couldn't."

He took a deep breath and bent his elbows so that his palms were facing each other. He pushed and the ball of golden energy appeared between his hands. Next to him, his brother also bent his elbows, though his palm were facing out. Two small balls of white energy appeared.

"Nice," Sirius complimented.

Regulus dropped the balls into the water, causing a series of ripples.

"What'd you do that for?" Sirius laughed.

"Easier than minimizing them," Regulus shrugged.

Sirius nodded. It was pretty hard to cause the ball to disappear. There was always a moment right before it vanished, where he felt the strongest surge of power. He wondered…

Sirius slowly brought his hands together and the ball faded away.

He felt the surge. But instead of mentally letting go, as Uncle Alphard had taught him, he abruptly extended his hands and pushed.

A wall of invisible energy crashed into the lake, causing a gigantic wave.

"Whoa!" Regulus and Sirius both exclaimed.

They glanced at each other, wide-eyed.

They suddenly heard the crack of a root beneath somebody's foot. They simultaneously glanced over their shoulders. James, Remus, and Peter were standing behind them.

Sirius and Regulus glanced at each other, the former asking, "How much did you hear?"

"Enough to know that your father's a cold bastard," Remus quietly said.

"You didn't know that already?" Sirius snorted.

"He's not…" Regulus meekly spoke up, "He's just a bit…"

He broke off and James softly said, "We were also here to see Sirius cause a tsunami."

"Just out of curiosity," Peter asked, "How exactly can you two create balls of energy?"

"That's none of your business," Regulus snapped, "And if you three tell anyone about the dueling, I'll…"

"Don't try to act threatening, Reg," Sirius teased, "It's unbecoming of the meilleur fils."

His brother glared at him and he continued, "Besides, they won't tell anyone. Right?"

"Of course not," James quickly agreed.

"Why should I trust you?" Regulus asked.

"Because you trust me," Sirius declared, "And I trust them."

His brother reluctantly nodded.

"So," James cheerfully said, "About that tsunami…"


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

_The Ministry for Magic requests your presence at Number 12 Grimmauld Place at noon on November 30__th__. The Ministry for Magic requests your presence at Number 12 Grimmauld Place at noon on November 30__th__. The Ministry for Magic requests your presence at Number 12 Grimmauld Place at noon on November 30__th__._

"Alright," Regulus growled, "I heard you!"

He stared at the silver bear, confused and alarmed. It had randomly burst through the wall of the common room and was now repeating the same message.

"Shut it!" Regulus cried, "Go away!"

The bear faded away, just as Avery and Mulciber entered the room.

"Alright, Regulus?" Avery asked.

"No," Regulus admitted.

He explained what had just happened.

"That was a Patronus," Avery smartly said.

"But why would the Ministry want me to come home?" Regulus asked.

He glanced at his watch. He was supposed to be there in an hour.

"Looks like they're doing a raid," Mulciber declared, "Got anything to hide?"

His friends both smirked, as if it was a trick question.

"A raid?" Regulus exclaimed, "You mean they're going to search our house?"

"Yep," Mulciber yawned, "They did it to my folks a few times. The Aurors burst in, search every room, talk to every resident, etc. Only thing is, somebody would have had to tip the Ministry off. Reckon who did that?"

Regulus felt a surge of anger. He leapt to his feet and raced out of the common room. He found the Marauders in the Great Hall. Sirius looked bewildered. Regulus had no doubt that he had received the same message.

He ran over and shrieked, "What the _hell _did you do?"

"I didn't do an—!" Sirius began.

"Not you," Regulus cried, "Potter!"

Indeed, James was trying to nonchalantly look in the other direction. Regulus knew that his father worked for the Auror Office. It would have been so easy to pass along a tip.

"You didn't," Sirius gasped.

"I just…" James stammered, "I just mentioned that he might want to take a look…"

Sirius groaned and buried his face in his hands, mumbling, "If they know that it's you, they'll know that we said something…"

He finally looked up and hissed, "When they kill me, I'm going to come back every bloody day to haunt you."

"Deal," James remarked, "I'll get you a smashing tombstone."

"I'll put your obituary in the paper," Peter offered.

"I'll put up a statue in your honor," Remus finished.

"Brilliant," Sirius sighed, "Thanks, mates."

"Mister Blacks?"

Professor McGonagall walked towards them and crisply said, "I just received a message from the Ministry. I am to escort you to my fireplace so that you may go home."

"Home," Sirius scoffed before hopefully saying, "I don't suppose we could get you to forget that you ever heard the message? I'll do extra homework for a year."

"I'm afraid not, Mister Black. Come along."

Regulus scowled as he followed his brother and the Deputy Headmistress.

"Don't give me that look," Sirius softly said, "He meant well."

"We have nothing to hide," Regulus mumbled, "There's no reason for a raid."

"Nothing to hide."

Sirius stopped and waited until Professor McGonagall had gotten ahead of them before amusedly muttering, "You're going to tell them about the duels, then? Maybe you can tell them about all of the times they left us alone with a bloody house-elf. Or what about the lessons on how Muggles should all be euthanized? What about all of the screaming? Are you going to tell them about that? Or what about our seventh birthdays? I bet they'd love to hear about that."

Regulus swallowed and whispered, "You're right."

Sirius suddenly looked thoughtful, "Then again, maybe we should tell them."

"What!?"

"We wouldn't have to worry about Mother and Father ever again…"

Regulus didn't like the look in his brother's eyes.

He swallowed again and muttered, "Sirius, you can't!"

"Yeah, alright."

"Come along!" Professor McGonagall called.

They hurried to catch up.

A few minutes later, Regulus landed on Sirius, who had landed on the cold floor of the drawing room. The two brothers groaned before realizing that they were not alone.

Several Aurors were standing in the room, along with their parents.

"An Anonymous tip," Orion was saying, "Who would be so cowardly?"

An elderly wizard calmly said, "I don't know, sir. That's why it's Anonymous."

Regulus glanced at Sirius and saw that he recognized the man. He saw a strange warmth in Sirius' eyes; a look of love and respect.

Regulus knew that it had to be Mr. Potter.

Mr. Potter looked down and cried, "Hullo, Sirius! And you must be Regulus. It's nice to meet you. Let me help you up."

Once they were on their feet, Mr. Potter said, "As you've probably heard, there has been an Anonymous tip. I'm sure that it's…entirely preposterous…but I'm afraid that we have to follow through and conduct a simple raid."

"Anonymous?" Sirius repeated.

"Indeed."

Mr. Potter quickly winked and Regulus watched as his brother's mouth twitched. Even he nearly smiled. They wouldn't be in trouble after all.

"Naturally," Walburga loudly spoke up, "We have nothing to hide! And, as I'm sure you can recall, we donated a hefty amount of galleons to the Auror Office just last month."

"Indeed, ma'am," Mr. Potter cheerfully said, "However, the Auror Office has no use for tainted gold. I'm sure that you'll be happy to know that we've donated the lump sum to several Muggle charities."

Regulus' jaw fell open.

Their mother's eyes flashed.

"Now, my colleagues will briefly search your house and talk to you," Mr. Potter merrily continued, "It shouldn't be a long procedure. While they're doing that, I'll talk to your sons and send them back off to Hogwarts. We don't want to take them from their studies for too long."

The other Aurors escorted their parents out and Mr. Potter shut the door.

Sirius burst out laughing, "Did you really donate their bribe to Muggle charities."

"Indeed," Mr. Potter chuckled, "Alright, Sirius?"

He swallowed and mumbled, "Yep."

"James told me about the dueling," Mr. Potter quietly said, "Do you wish to elaborate?"

Sirius and Regulus glanced at each other.

"Well, you know how it is," Sirius softly said, "Brothers…tend to fight each other…"

Regulus quickly nodded in agreement.

Mr. Potter nodded and said, "Sirius, why don't you stand in the corridor? I want to ask your brother some questions alone. Then, I'll have you swap."

Sirius nervously obliged.

"How are you, Regulus?" Mr. Potter gently asked.

"'m fine."

"Good," Mr. Potter replied, "I want you to be as comfortable as possible. If, at any time you feel uncomfortable during these questions, you need simply to tell me to stop. Alright?"

Regulus shrugged.

"Excellent. Now, have your parents ever hurt you?"

He immediately thought of his seventh birthday.

He swallowed and muttered, "No."

"Have they ever yelled at you?"

"No."

"Have they ever threatened you or somebody that you care about?"

"No."

"Have they ev—"

"No."

"Is 'no' all you're going to say?" Mr. Potter asked, his eyes twinkling.

Regulus opened his mouth but realized that it was a trick-question.

Mr. Potter gave him a gentle smile as he asked, "Are you happy here, Regulus?"

How the hell was he supposed to answer that!?

He swallowed and croaked, "Stop."

"Of course," Mr. Potter immediately replied, "You did wonderfully, Regulus. You were very brave. Well done, indeed."

Regulus stared at him for a moment before muttering, "You're nothing like Father."

Mr. Potter raised his eyebrows and Regulus added, "I can see why Sirius likes you."

He leapt up and entered the corridor without another word. Sirius glanced at him before entering the room to answer the same questions. Regulus paced up and down the corridor. What was he saying? At long last, Mr. Potter opened the door and asked him to come back in.

He sat next to Sirius and hissed, "What'd you say?"

"Nothing," Sirius muttered, "You?"

"Nothing."

Sirius nodded.

"Boys," Mr. Potter gently said, "Your parents have a rather remarkable talent of…err…shall we say…getting Ministry officials to sweep things under the rug. Now, I can do my best to fight on your behalf. And I will promise you that nobody will hurt you. But in order for me to help you, you need to be honest with me."

"Help us with what, sir?" Regulus croaked.

Sirius stared at the floor as he mumbled, "We're perfectly fine."

"I can see that," Mr. Potter remarked.

He sighed and said, "Very well. If you're sure…"

"We are."

Mr. Potter nodded and said, "Sirius, as I've told you many times, the front door to our home is always open. You are always welcome. And the same goes for you, Regulus."

Sirius nodded and whispered, "Thanks."

"Are we done?" Regulus softly asked.

"For now," Mr. Potter agreed, "Why don't you two return to Hogwarts while we finish things up? Send James my love."

Regulus felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He was the first to jump up and leap across the hearth. He came out in Professor McGonagall's empty office and shakily sat down. It was over.

Sirius stumbled through the fireplace.

"Do you think he knows that we were lying?" Regulus asked.

"Of course he does," Sirius cried, "He's not stupid!"

He hesitated before adding, "But, he can't do anything either."

"So, Mother and Father are going to be fine?" Regulus hopefully asked.

"Who cares?" Sirius dismissively said, "More importantly, we're going to be fine!"

"Do you think he was right?" Regulus asked, "About Mother and Father having a knack for sweeping things under the rug?"

Sirius gave him a dark look as he said, "Our family is riddled with secrets. Some are blacker than others."

Regulus stared at him for a moment before saying, "Good one."

"Thanks," Sirius brightly said, "Alright! If you need me, I'm going to take a Transperency Potion and a Levitating Potion."

"Why?" Regulus laughed.

"To pass off as a ghost," Sirius cried, "James is in for one hell of a shock."


	27. Chapter 27

Author's Note: Good evening, everyone! I'm actually updating on Tuesday! And even better, I have _five _chapters today! I know that I usually post them in pair but after you read Chapter Thirty, you'll realize why I needed to post Chapter Thirty-One as well!

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Sirius couldn't breathe.

He had gone to throw a Dungbomb but Avery had sent it right back. It had exploded in his face, causing him to hunch over, gasping for breath.

"Alright?" James cried.

"Fine," Sirius wheezed, "Stupefy!"

The Marauders were dueling Snape, Avery, Mucliber, and Regulus in the Entrance Hall. Well…Sirius wasn't dueling Regulus. Nor was Regulus dueling him.

"Remus, look out!" Sirius roared.

Snape raised his wand and cried, "Sectumsempera!"

Remus dove out of the way.

Sirius couldn't suppress the gasp as the hex hit his brother's shoulder. Regulus was knocked right off of his feet. His hand flew up to his shoulder and Sirius was alarmed to see that blood was already oozing through his fingers. Regulus glanced up and his eyes caught Sirius'; they were filled with fear and quickly losing focus.

"Damn it, Snivellus," Sirius harshly growled.

His wand whipped through the air and three explosions echoed through the Entrance Hall. It was enough to make the other Marauders jump in surprise. Snape, Avery, and Mulciber fell to the ground in a heap.

"Sirius," James whispered.

He knew that his friends was alarmed by this sudden burst of violence but he didn't care.

He had to help his brother.

Sirius crossed over to Regulus and barked, "Remus, do you have any gauze?"

"Y…yes," Remus softly replied, "Of course."

He waved his wand and murmured, "Accio!"

The gauze pads flew from his bag and he handed them over. Sirius ripped the sleeve of his brother's robe and flinched at the deep cut.

Regulus' head jerked and Sirius whispered, "Don't look."

He placed the gauze on the wound, applying pressure, before asking, "When was the last time you took a Clotting Potion?"

Regulus' mouth thinned and he guiltily said, "About…a year ago."

"Regu_lus_!"

Regulus sighed and muttered, "I thought that it was better."

Sirius looked at the reddening gauze and remarked, "You thought wrong. Come on."

He helped his brother to his feet.

"We're going to the Hospital Wing," Sirius explained, "You're losing too much blood."

He turned to the other Marauders and added, "Clear out of here."

The bell was going to chime in a few seconds. People would soon be flooding in. He didn't want his friends to be caught in the act. He and Regulus started up the marble staircase.

His brother kept threatening to look at his shoulder. Sirius gently but firmly grabbed his jaw and jerked it upwards, silently forcing Regulus to stare at the ceiling.

"Hang on!" James called, still glancing at the group of fallen Slytherins, "What did…what did you do to them?"

"Relax," Sirius dismissively said, "It's just a powerful sleeping charm. They'll wake up in a few hours, perfectly fine."

James nodded as Remus and Peter sighed with relief. Sirius' mouth twisted into a grim smile. They thought that he had done something much worse. He had been angry, but he hadn't been dangerous. He had just wanted to subdue his brother's friends to prevent them from seeing him injured and vulnerable. Even if his brother's friend was the one that caused the injury.

Sirius glanced at Regulus and pointedly added, "You see, unlike _some_ people, I don't partake in the Dark Arts nor do I casually shout out dark hexes."

Regulus glowered and murmured, "It wasn't…it…he didn't mean to…"

"To hit you?" Sirius coolly replied, "I know. He meant to hit Remus. You're lucky that I'm even helping you at all."

He felt his brother tug away from him, "I don't need your help."

Sirius was more amused than angry as he said, "No? Alright. Mend your own wound."

Regulus glanced at his shoulder and immediately grew clammy. His eyes changed and he swayed on the spot. He was going to faint.

"Easy, easy!" Sirius cried, dragging him over to a bench, "Sit down."

Regulus complied, taking a few deep breaths. Sirius felt bad, realizing that he might have gone too far in proving his point.

He made his voice as gentle as possible as he asked, "Alright?"

"Yeah," Regulus grunted, "Fine…just…listen…don't tell anyone."

"I wasn't planning on it," Sirius replied, "Come along."

He helped his brother to his feet and the two marched on in silence. They finally reached the Hospital Wing. Fortunately, Madam Pomfrey wasn't one for asking questions. She whisked Regulus over to a bed. Sirius explained that he had haemophilia. She didn't even bat an eye.

"There are several things that I can do to stop the bleeding," Madam Pomfrey crisply explained, "However, I think that the best method is the Muggle way."

Regulus grunted with disapproval.

Sirius whacked the back of his head and angrily said, "Knock it off! Mummy Dearest and Daddy Dearest aren't here. Neither are your friends. You're doing the Muggle way."

He glanced up and added, "What _is_ the Muggle way?"

Madam Pomfrey held up a needle and thread.

Regulus immediately paled and squeaked, "I don't like the Muggle way."

"Yeah, you're not doing the Muggle way," Sirius quickly agreed.

"It will be quick and fairly painless," Madam Pomfrey said.

"Wh…what is it?" Sirius asked, "It looks like you're going to stitch up a jumper!"

The matron smiled and explained, "Muggles have stitched their wounds for centuries; it's more formally referred to as a surgical suture. It will be the quickest and most effective way to close the wound."

Regulus groaned, looking quite nauseous.

"It'll be over in a jiffy," Madam Pomfrey promised.

Sirius hesitated. He trusted the matron and if she thought that it was best…

The brothers jumped as they heard a knock. James, Peter, and Remus were standing in the doorway.

"Alright?" James asked.

"Get out," Regulus snapped.

"Fair enough," James cheerfully said.

They turned around and promptly walked away.

"Hang on," Sirius exclaimed, suddenly getting an idea.

He raced out into the corridor and cried, "Wait! Would you mind doing me a favor?"

"Depends," Peter replied, "What's the favor?"

Sirius snorted and said, "I need you and James to run down to Hogsmeade and buy some candy from Honeydukes."

He pulled a handful of galleons from his pocket and handed it over.

Peter stared at it and whispered, "There has to be thirty galleons here."*

"Yes," Sirius agreed.

Peter gaped at him, utterly bewildered, before pocketing it.

"Hang on," James spoke up, "Why do we both have to go?"

"Peter's an expert on candy," Sirius explained, "And you can make sure that he won't eat any on the way back."

Peter flushed but didn't deny that he had been thinking about it.

James gave a mock salute and the two raced away.

"So, what do you need me to do?" Remus asked.

"Ever had stitches?"

Remus snorted and muttered, "Every month."

"Good," Sirius said, "Talk to Regulus."

Remus blinked before nodding.

Sirius reentered the room and saw that his brother was still arguing with the matron. He glanced up and scowled, "What's he doing here?"

"You've honestly never had stitches?" Remus asked.

Sirius glared at him. He didn't need his brother to feel worse.

"No," Regulus huffed, "I usually like my medical procedures to be less barbaric."

"Less barbaric?" Remus easily replied, "Or less scary?"

Sirius had to admire his friend's nerve.

His brother, it seemed, did not.

Regulus' eyes blazed with fury as he growled, "I'm not scared."

"'Could have fooled me," Sirius muttered.

Regulus' glare intensified as he repeated, "I'm not! I just don't want to subject myself to such unsanitary, heathenish, Muggle, treatment!"

Had Madam Pomfrey not been standing nearby, Sirius probably would have punched his brother. He couldn't believe how rude Regulus was being.

Remus was unfazed as he continued, "It barely hurts. The pain goes away almost instantly. You'll barely remember it. And she does have potions, if it still hurts later."

Regulus' glare didn't waver.

"Oh, honestly," Remus cried, "The amount of time that you've spent avoiding it…you could have already had it done by now! Go on!"

"Get out!" Regulus hissed.

Sirius reeled back, furious by his brother's behavior.

Remus merely smiled and said, "Okay."

He calmly walked away and Sirius angrily snarled, "He was just trying to help, you righteous git. But fine. Get whatever Pureblood treatment you want. Bleed out, for all I care."

He stomped out into the corridor, shaking with anger.

To his surprise, Remus stopped him and cried, "What're you doing?"

"Err…" Sirius confusedly said, "Storming out?"

"No, no!" Remus exclaimed, "Get back in there."

"After what he said?"

Remus nodded and said, "Trust me."

"But he…"

"…is scared."

"He said he wasn't."

"He lied."

"How do you…?"

"I think that I have some experience in the matter!" Remus laughed, "Trust me. Go."

Sirius still frowned but shuffled back in. He immediately softened. His brother was trembling, even as Madam Pomfrey whispered words of encouragement. His eyes were glistened with tears and his lip quivered. He let out a small cry as the matron administered the first stitch.

"Alright, alright!" Sirius hastily said, "It's alright!"

He raced in and put his hand on his brother's good shoulder.

"Sirius," Regulus whispered.

"Look away," Sirius ordered.

His brother had been staring at the wound, transfixed. He now glanced away, still shaking. Sirius sympathetically leaned over and rested his forehead against his Regulus'. His brother tensed before taking a deep breath and relaxing.

Sirius drew back, just as Madam Pomfrey cheerfully said, "Finished!"

"Already?" Regulus cried, surprised.

The matron nodded and briskly said, "Seven stitches. Nothing major."

Sirius and Regulus glanced at each other, the latter muttering, "And you were worried."

"Oh, yeah," Sirius laughed, "I was the worried one."

Regulus flushed and Madam Pomfrey handed him several potions. He swallowed them, making a disgusted face. Sirius laughed; he felt giddy with relief.

"Does it still taste like spicy grapes?" Sirius lightly asked.

"You're very welcome to try it," Regulus mumbled.

"Well, maybe this'll take the taste away."

The brothers looked up at James' happy remark.

He and Peter entered, the latter pulling a wagon with piles of candy.

"We bought out the store," James cheerfully said.

Regulus glanced at Sirius.

Sirius meekly shrugged.

He would buy out all the candy shops in the world if it meant that Regulus would be happy.

*There's a really helpful tool on HP Lexicon that converts galleons to dollars. Sirius basically gave Peter $300 to get Regulus candy!


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"Regulus, wake up."

Regulus woke with a start. He was curled beneath his blankets. As much as he loved Hogwarts, he hated how frigid the air was in his dormitory. He looked up and his jaw dropped. A bat-like silhouette was lingering over him. The gasp was caught in his throat as he realized that it was Snape. He looked terrible. There were twigs sticking out of his hair and he was covered with dirt and scratches. However, his eyes were lit up with adrenaline and possibly excitement.

"I'm going to kill your brother," Snape cheerfully hissed.

"You're…what?" Regulus whispered, "What did he do this time?"

Snape drummed his fingers on the post as he softly said, "The bastards were sneaking out again. I decided to follow them. Potter, Pettigrew, and Lupin got away from me. But your brother hung back. He let it slip…well, I _thought_ that he had let it slip…I followed him…"

He leaned forward and hissed, "Remus Lupin is a werewolf!"

Regulus felt his blood turn to ice. Snape looked feverish with excitement. Regulus licked his lips and murmured, "Did you…see…?"

"Yeah," Snape nodded, "I saw. And I'm going to tell everyone."

Oh, Sirius! What have you done!?

Snape's mouth was twisted into an unpleasant smile. Regulus knew that he would be true to his word. He would tell everyone. By the morning, right around the time that he would be waking up from a horrid night, Remus Lupin would be driven from the castle.

Regulus tried to maintain his composure as he asked, "Who have you told so far?"

"Just you," Snape whispered, "Get up. Now! Help me spread the word."

He couldn't. As much as he disliked Sirius' friends…he couldn't do that to Sirius. He couldn't ruin the life of one of his best friends. He couldn't.

"Yeah," Regulus dully said, "I'll do that. Err…where do we start?"

"Dumbledore," Snape excitedly muttered, "We start with Dumbledore. Wait until he realizes that his student is a werewolf!"

He was irrational from adrenaline. Of course, Dumbledore would know. But Regulus nodded, trying to rapidly think. He had to stop Snape. Somehow. The youngest Black brother threw on his dressing gown, slipped his wand into the pocket, and followed his friend up to the Entrance Hall. He was surprised that there weren't any Prefects wandering about. It was just as well. Regulus hesitated before slowing down, allowing Snape to walk in front of him. He lifted a shaky hand, pointing it at Snape's back.

He took a deep breath before croaking, "Stupefy!"

Snape crumpled to the ground.

Regulus immediately panicked. He couldn't leave him here! He worriedly glanced around before spotting a broom cupboard. Feeling incredibly foolish and half-asleep, he dragged his friend over, opened the door, and shoved him in.

"Sorry, mate," Regulus muttered, shutting the door.

He then spun around and promptly raced up the Grand Staircase. By the time he reached the seventh floor, he was panting and drenched with sweat. He collapsed against the railing for a few seconds before straightening up and staggering down the corridor. He stopped outside the portrait of the Fat Lady. Unfortunately, she was away. Not that she would've let him in.

He pounded on the portrait, still feeling foolish, and screamed his brother's name.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

He spun around. James and Peter were walking up the corridor, looking upset.

"Where's my brother?" Regulus demanded.

"Frankly, Regulus," James snapped, "I don't give a damn."

Regulus was unable to hide his confusion.

James rolled his eyes and said, "It's from a Muggle movie. Not that you would know."

"Look, Potter," Regulus said, starting to feel annoyed, "I need to see him."

"Yeah?" James growled, "As far as I'm concerned, I never want to see him again."

Peter nodded.

"Potter, listen to me," Regulus exclaimed, "I just hexed Snape!"

James actually looked impressed as he cried, "Good job! Err…why?"

"He was going to tell everyone," Regulus softly said, "I couldn't…couldn't let…"

James swore and muttered, "He ran away as soon as I pulled him back. I thought that he was scared. I didn't think…it all happened so fast."

"Hang on," Regulus cried, "Pulled him back?"

"Yeah, he…got too close…I grabbed him and…hang on!" James cried, "How do you even know about Remus?"

Regulus darkly chuckled and whispered, "My brother's best friends with a werewolf. Do you honestly think that my parents wouldn't find out?"

James flinched and Regulus added, "Yeah…that was an…err…interesting breakfast."

"I imagine," James muttered, looking sympathetic.

He went to deliver the password and Regulus quickly said, "What're you doing?"

"We're turning in," Peter explained, "It's been a long night."

"What? No!" Regulus exclaimed, "You need to talk to Dumbledore. Now."

"Why!?" James cried.

Regulus nearly groaned. Was nobody thinking clearly tonight? He supposed that the shock and adrenaline was clouding everyone's minds.

"My brother almost killed someone!" Regulus hissed, "Go downstairs, wake Snape up, do me a favor and pretend that you were the one who hexed him, and then go talk to Dumbledore. When Lupin wakes up, he can meet you there. You need to all talk about this."

James groaned, looking furious for not thinking of this earlier.

"Do you think Sirius will be in trouble?" Peter nervously asked.

"Who cares?" James growled, before immediately looking regretful.

"You do," Regulus softly said, "And I dunno if he will or not…I don't think…I don't think that he would ever intentionally…"

He broke off and James sighed, "Yeah, me neither."

James ruffled a hand through his hair and angrily added, "But sometimes, he just doesn't _think_!"

"No," Regulus agreed, "He doesn't."

"So, what're _you_ going to do?" Peter asked.

Regulus paused. He hadn't thought of that.

"Go get some rest," James advised, suddenly sounding very brotherly, "There's nothing more that you can do. We'll find Sirius and head down to Dumbledore's office."

Regulus nodded and murmured, "Listen…don't be…don't be too mad at him…"

"Easier said than done," James retorted.

"Yeah, alright," Regulus agreed, "It's just…"

He broke off before admitting, "Sometimes, I think that you guys are all he has."

"He has you," James pointed out, "Anyway…come on, Peter."

Regulus sadly watched them leave.

Yes, Sirius had him.

And he had Sirius.

Then again, Regulus was beginning to have the solemn feeling that three brothers were better than one.

oOo

"And the bastard's only getting a month of detention," Snape furiously said, "He ought to be expelled! Hell, he should be thrown in Azkaban."

Snape had spent the last three days talking about the prank. Regulus didn't blame him. And to his friend's credit, Snape hadn't actually told anyone else what he had seen at the end of the tunnel. Regulus had a feeling that Dumbledore had made him promise to keep it a secret. The only thing that Snape mentioned was that it had been a horrible beast.

"I say 'an eye for an eye'," Mulciber agreed, "Give him a near death experience."

"Oi, that's my brother!" Regulus burst out, before he could stop himself.

"And we're your friends!" Snape retorted, "And I think you really ought to start deciding where your loyalties lie."

Regulus glared at him before muttering, "I'm going for a walk."

He ended up pacing around the grounds for hours.

He stopped as he heard someone cough. He raced forward and found Sirius sitting on the large root of an enormous tree. It was the first time that Regulus had seen him all week. He noted that his brother's eyes were bloodshot.

"You bastard!" Regulus hissed.

"I know," Sirius grunted.

"How could you do that?"

"I dunno."

"Did you want to hurt him?" Regulus cried.

"No," Sirius groaned, "Of course not! I just wanted to scare him. I didn't think…"

"That's obvious," Regulus snapped, "You could have killed him."

"I…I didn't mean…"

"And what about Lupin?" Regulus continued, "He's supposed to be your best friend, isn't he? Why the hell would you reveal his secret? Even I wasn't that dumb!"

"I know, Reg!" Sirius snapped, "I know, okay? I know that I messed up and I know that I look like a heartless bastard! Believe me when I say that if I could take it back…"

He buried his face in his hands and Regulus suddenly realized that he was holding a piece of parchment.

He cleared his throat and asked, "What's that?"

"'Letter from Mummy Dearest," Sirius grunted, "McGonagall wrote a letter home."

Regulus softened and asked, "How mad was she?"

Sirius looked up, his eyes brimmed with tears, as he replied, "She wasn't."

"Huh?"

"She was proud," Sirius croaked, "She was…she was proud of me."

Regulus felt as though he was going to be sick.

Sirius buried his face in his hands once more, his body shaking with sobs.

Regulus didn't know what to do. Sirius was the one who usually comforted him. And anyway, Sirius didn't deserve to be comforted.

Still…

He felt a pang of pity as he stared at his brother.

Regulus had spent his entire life wanting to make their parents proud.

Yet, it was obvious that this was very upsetting to his brother.

"I'm not like them," Sirius growled, "I'm not."

"I know."

Regulus' reply was neither a compliment nor a complaint.

It was a simple statement.

His brother was many things. He was a Gryffindor, he was a Marauder, he was a prankster, and sometimes he was a bloody idiot.

But he wasn't like their parents.

He would never be like their parents.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine

"Three…two…one…"

Sirius and James threw the handful of Stink Pellets into the classroom and took off running. They pelted through the corridors, dashed down several flights of stairs, and burst into the Great Hall.

"Flitwick's going to kill us!" Sirius laughed.

"Worth it," James snickered, "He shouldn't've given us that 'T'."

Sirius' grin slipped away as he realized that it was eerily quiet. Instead of the ecstatic conversations and laughter, there were grim whispers. The fifteen-year-old straightened up and glanced around. Students were frowning, shaking, and even crying. Many were holding copies of the Daily Prophet.

James mirrored his look of concern and confusion.

The two joined Remus and Peter at the Gryffindor table.

"What is it?" Sirius whispered, "What happened?"

Remus solemnly handed over the paper.

Sirius read the headline and groaned:

VILLAGE ATTACKED BY DEATH EATERS

A DOZEN MUGGLES DEAD

TWENTY INJURED

Death Eaters.

Sirius felt his stomach churn.

A few years ago, he had simply known them as the resistance that his parents seemed to support. He now knew that they were more than a small resistance. They were an army. And they were starting a war. The Aurors were doing their best to try and stop the hate crimes but they were escalating. His parents talked about it quite frequently. They seemed proud that the Death Eaters were taking it upon themselves to cleanse the world from the inferior races.

"I need to contact my dad," James immediately said, "I have to make sure he's alright."

"I'll go with you," Sirius offered.

James nodded and the two leapt to their feet.

Sirius felt his throat burn as they pushed their way back through the Great Hall. Madam Pomfrey had her arm around a first-year, who was stammering something about her aunt. Prefects were walking up and down, comforting everyone. Sirius spotted Lily Evans whispering words of encouragement, though her own eyes were bloodshot.

"Alright, Evans?" James quietly asked.

"Fine," Lily whispered.

"No-one that you knew?" Sirius asked.

She shook her head.

James nodded and continued on.

Sirius went after him but stopped when he heard several Slytherins talking.

"I can't wait," Mucliber hissed, jerking his head towards the paper, "Can you?"

Sirius turned.

Mulciber and Avery were sitting with his brother. Regulus had a smile plastered on his face and was nodding along.

Sirius heard James swear.

His friend grabbed at him but he was too quick. He raced over to his brother, grabbed the front of his shirt, and pulled him right out of the chair.

"What're you—!?"

"Can't wait, huh?" Sirius hissed.

Regulus' defensive charge flared but Sirius refused to let go.

"Can't wait until what?" Sirius asked.

Regulus stared at him, his eyes cold and angry.

"You can't wait until _what_?" Sirius growled.

His brother's gaze lowered as his demeanor slipped.

"Forget it, mate," James cried, attempting to pull him away, "Forget it…"

"I didn't say anything," Regulus pointed out.

"You were nodding along," Sirius barked, "Happily agreeing."

"I…"

Remus and Peter arrived and helped James pull him away.

"Get out of here, Regulus!" James cried, "Go!"

Regulus didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed his things and left with his friends.

"He was acting in the heat of the moment," James murmured, squeezing Sirius' shoulder.

"A bit of peer pressure," Remus agreed, "That's all it was."

"I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it," Peter helpfully finished.

Sirius realized that he was shaking, out of both anger and fear.

He took a deep breath and whispered, "Yeah…alright."

"Let's go back to the dormitory," James quietly said, "We can put on the kettle. A bit of tea is just what we need."

Sirius nodded and miserably followed his friends.

The heat of the moment.

Right.

That's all it was.

And _technically_, Regulus hadn't said anything.

He had just nodded along.

But still, that was just as bad.

Wasn't it?

Apparently, not to his friends.

He was just responding in the heat of the moment.

But what if…?

Sirius shuddered.

His parents seemed to support the Death Eaters and their leader.

And now Regulus' friends did as well.

A war was brewing.

There was going to be many times when Regulus would face the heat of the moment.

And what if one day, he didn't just nod along and smile?

What if one day, he made a drastic mistake?


	30. Chapter 30

Author's Note: This is one of the shortest chapters in the story. It's also one of the most crucial chapters in the story.

Chapter Thirty

"Regulus, come here."

Regulus paused at his brother's gentle request. He had just passed Sirius' bedroom, on his way to his own. The summer day was warm and the London air was stale. Regulus' eyelids were heavy and he wanted nothing more than to crawl into his bed and go to sleep. Yet, he turned into Sirius' room and saw that his brother looked grim.

"What's wrong?" Regulus asked, "Did someone die?"

"No," Sirius chuckled, "No. Nothing like that."

He sat on the edge of his bed and whispered, "Sit beside me, meilleur fils."

Regulus rolled his eyes at the nickname but obliged.

"Listen to me," Sirius quietly said, "Listen closely…"

"I'm listening."

Sirius hesitated before saying, "Take that bloody thing off. It looks awful."

Regulus chuckled and removed the locket from his neck. It was an ancient Black heirloom. He had gotten it for Christmas. Sirius hated it.

"Is that what you wanted to tell me?" Regulus asked.

Sirius chose his words carefully as he said, "You don't believe the things that Mummy and Daddy Dearest say, do you?"

"Don't call them that," Regulus shortly said, "And what d'you mean?"

"When they talk about how pureblood-wixen are the greatest race," Sirius explained, "And how Half-Bloods, Muggle-Borns, and mixed-species are the scums of the earth? And how Muggles should be euthanized."

Regulus stared at him for a moment and Sirius quietly said, "It's not true. None of it is true, Regulus."

"Yeah…" Regulus replied, "I…I know."

"Do you?" Sirius asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Regulus remained silent.

"There's a war brewing," Sirius continued, "And people are making decisions on a whim. Bad decisions. Decisions that are costing people their lives. And I want you to know…that no matter how many troubles may come, they will pass."

"Alright?"

"Forget your lust for…that."

Sirius disgustedly jerked his head towards the locket and continued, "Forget everything that Mother and Father say. You don't need to live by their standards. All that you need is…well…what's in here."

He touched Regulus' chest, prompting him to ask, "My sternum?"

"No, not your bloody sternum!" Sirius laughed, "Your heart! Your soul!"

He took a deep breath and said, "Don't follow Mother and Father, regulus. Don't follow your friend. Heck, don't even follow me. Just follow your heart and nothing else."

"Yeah," Regulus sighed, "That's easy for you to say."

Sirius squeezed his shoulder and whispered, "You can do this."

And just as they always did, those four words gave Regulus strength.

"And no matter what happens," Sirius quietly finished, "I will always be your brother."

Regulus worriedly surveyed his brother.

Finally, he whispered, "Why are you telling me this?"

Sirius hesitated before saying, "I'm leaving."


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty-One

As expected, his brother looked horrified.

Regulus swallowed and croaked, "What do you mean?"

"I'm running away," Sirius softly said.

His brother glanced down and his eyes widened. Evidently, he hadn't noticed the trunk that was by Sirius' feet. He had spent all night packing.

"You…you…"

Yet, his brother had no words.

Sirius solemnly grabbed the handle of his trunk and walked away. The trunk crashed and banged as he pulled it down the stairs.

He made it to the front door before Walburga shrieked, "What is that infernal noise?"

He supposed that they had gotten to the potions early tonight.

"And just where are you going?"

Damn.

Sirius turned.

Walburga and Orion descended the staircase, looking alarmed and furious.

"I want out," Sirius quietly said, "I want out of this house. I want out of this family!"

"What are you talking about, you insolent brat?" Walburga spat.

Sirius defensive charge flared and he growled, "I'm leaving."

They descended the remaining steps. Regulus also ran down the steps, having snapped out of his shock. He remained near them, even as Walburga and Orion walked towards Sirius.

"Not one step closer," Sirius warned, pulling out his wand.

Sparks shot from the end of it.

"You dare pull your wand on me?" Orion hissed, "You disrespectful wre—"

"I'll give you respect the day that you deserve it," Sirius shot back, "I could take you right now, if I wanted to."

"Oh, you think so?" Orion retorted, pulling out his own wand.

Sirius slashed his wand. He intentionally missed Orion. The spell ended up hitting the potted plant next to him, causing it to explode. Sirius smirked as Orion's eyes widened.

"You shouldn't have taught me how to fight," Sirius taunted.

He then pocketed his wand and added, "But, I'm not going to duel you. I won't sink down to your level."

"Go on, then!" Walburga screeched, "Leave! You were always the bastard son! You never could do anything right! You're a disgrace!"

Sirius curved his fingers, shaking with anger. They stiffened as he thought of all of the pain that he had suffered in the past sixteen years. The yelling, the lies, the punishments…

No more.

Sirius pushed.

A ball of white, hot, energy appeared between his hands. It was crackling, like a fire; like a star. He focused and pushed out all of the bad memories. The orb of light grew bigger and bigger. Even he was surprised by the sheer size of it. Orion and Walburga looked horrified. Even his brother's eyes widened. Regulus slowly backed away. Smart boy, Sirius thought.

The entire foyer shook as he thought about the abuse that he had endured. No more. They couldn't control him anymore. He was free.

By now, the orb of light had tripled in size. It was the size of his head—it was the largest ball that he had ever formed. He knew that the concentrated energy could be harmful—possibly lethal. His eyes held fire as he gazed at his parents. They would have deserved it.

Nevertheless, he slowly brought his hands together.

He saw Orion and Walburga relax. Good. He would catch them off guard.

He wasn't going to hurt them.

He wasn't going to sink to their level.

But he was going to go out with a bang.

He brought his palms together and felt the energy charge. The energy had to go somewhere. Normally, he drew it from his defensive charge and pushed it into the ball. He would then calm himself down until it fizzled out. But right now, he was far from calm. He thought back to his third year, when he and Regulus had almost dueled each other in the Great Hall. He had made the small wave by pushing the wall of invisible energy away. That had been a small amount of energy. But this…

Sirius had made up his mind.

He was going out with a bang.

With an exhausted scream, he extended his arms out and pushed as hard as he could.

It was as if a tornado had hit. The wall of energy crashed into his Orion and Walburga and knocked them to the ground. The walls shuddered, the remaining windows shattered, the vase on the table burst into a thousand pieces…

Regulus screamed and shielded himself but soon realized that it was unnecessary. Wave after wave of energy surged from Sirius, but they missed him entirely. Sirius watched as his brother straightened up in awe as the world exploded around him. The floor splintered. A crack danced its way up the staircase. The paintings ripped to shreds. The furniture was knocked back against the far wall. Up above, the chandelier exploded and the pieces rained down. Every single piece managed to miss the brothers. It was a sight to behold.

Sirius finally lowered his hands and swayed on the spot. He took a deep breath and managed to stay upright. His chest rose and fell as he waited for his strength to return. The foyer of the house was completely destroyed. Walburga and Orion were against the far wall, unconscious but otherwise fine. Regulus was standing in the middle of the room, his eyes wide with fear, surprise, and perhaps a little admiration.

He finally croaked, "You've always got to be so bloody dramatic."

Sirius cracked a grin and said, "Come with me."

"I can't," Regulus immediately replied.

Sirius swallowed and said, "Please!"

Regulus merely shook his head.

Sirius sighed and muttered, "Fine. Give me fifteen minutes to clear the city. Then you can wake them up."

"You can never come back," Regulus pointed out, "You realize that?"

"I know," Sirius quietly said.

He slung his bag over his shoulder and left without another word.

He knew that he couldn't come back.

That was alright.

He had no intention of ever returning.

Author's Note: When in doubt, go out with a bang!


	32. Chapter 32

Author's Note: Sorry about the short delay! I had my days mixed up!

Chapter Thirty-Two

"I…I can't do this."

Regulus' eyes stung and a lump was forming in his throat.

"It isn't an option," Walburga boomed, "Do it!"

"I can't!" Regulus protested, "W…why don't you do it?"

The two were standing in the drawing room, facing the ornate tapestry. Regulus had his wand in his hand, though he couldn't bring himself to lift it.

"Do it!" Orion hissed, "Now!"

Regulus raised his wand and croaked, "Incendio!"

The small flame burst from his wand and scorched part of the tapestry—the part that meant the most to him—his brother's name.

A strangely calm feeling washed over Regulus.

"Well done, my son," Orion declared.

Regulus forced a smile as he muttered, "Thank you, Father."

He pocketed his wand and added, "I'm going for a walk."

"Be back for tea," Walburga ordered, "Your cousins are coming over!"

"I will."

He spun around and shuffled away.

He had received an owl this morning with a quickly scrawled note, asking him to come to the café that was several blocks over. He had recognized the handwriting.

Sure enough, as Regulus approached the sun-baked patio, he saw Sirius leaning back in the chair. The front legs crashed to the ground as he spotted Regulus.

"You came!" Sirius brightly said.

"You invited me," Regulus pointed out.

Sirius nodded to the chair next to him. Regulus glanced around before sitting down.

"So—" Sirius began.

"I burned you!" Regulus abruptly cried.

His brother's face shone with confusion and Regulus mumbled, "F…from the tapestry. I burned your name."

"Oh."

Regulus blinked at his brother's lack of emotion.

He swallowed and asked, "You're not upset?"

"It's a stupid piece of fabric," Sirius replied.

"Right," Regulus softly said, "Well…I…I wasn't upset either."

His brother's mouth curved into a smirk but he didn't say anything.

"So, why'd you want to meet?" Regulus mumbled.

"I wanted to make sure that you were doing alright."

"I'm fine," Regulus lied, "You?"

"I'm great!" Sirius gushed, "I've never felt so…so…so free!"

His genuine grin caused Regulus to smile.

"Where are you staying?" Regulus asked.

Sirius' grin faded and he muttered, "Why? Going to rat out my location to Mummy and Daddy Dearest?"

"N…no!" Regulus cried, "I just…"

He sadly broke off.

Sirius softened and said, "With James. His parents were quite keen to take me in."

"Of course," Regulus muttered, "You moved in with your real family."

His brother put a hand on his shoulder.

"What's that?" Regulus abruptly asked, pointing to a garbage bag that was next to his brother's chair.

"Ah," Sirius pleasantly said, "That's for you."

Regulus stared at it for a moment before saying, "Err…thanks?"

"Open it," Sirius laughed, handing it over.

"I'd rather not."

"Go on!"

Regulus apprehensively opened it. His mouth immediately watered. The bag was filled with baked goodies and sweets, no doubt from Mrs. Potter. Sirius had once said that she was an excellent cook. From the look of the food, he wasn't lying!

"Reckon it's better than Kreacher's cooking," Sirius happily said.

Regulus frowned at the comment but thanked him nonetheless.

A clock chimed in the distance and he mumbled, "I have to get back…Bellatrix and Narcissa are coming for tea."

"Ah," Sirius said, "Well, that sounds horrid."

Regulus chuckled before abruptly saying, "You say that the tapestry is just a stupid piece of fabric but…you do know what it symbolizes, right? You and I…we're no longer related."

He hesitated before muttering, "We're no longer brothers."

Sirius stared at him for a moment before saying, "Well…I think of James as my brother."

Regulus felt that familiar sour feeling in the pit of his stomach. He grabbed the garbage bag and muttered, "Yeah…well…thanks."

"What I mean is," Sirius quickly said, "In my opinion…you don't have to be related to be brothers."

It was a moment before his words sank in. When they did, Regulus' face broke out into a wide grin. Sirius returned it.

"Check out my room, when you get the chance," Sirius advised, "You were so tired the other day…you didn't even notice that I had redecorated."

"Alright," Regulus remarked, "I will."

He hesitated before saying, "Take care."

"You too."

Regulus awkwardly turned around and walked away, dragging the bag of goodies behind him, like a somber Father Christmas.

He entered the house and raced upstairs before anyone could see. He stowed the bag beneath his bed before curiously entering his brother's room—former room. He closed the door behind him and turned on the overhead light. His jaw dropped.

The walls were hidden beneath dozens of posters and banners. Regulus did a quick count. There were no less than ten Gryffindor banners—each unique. And the posters! There were dozens of them; each featuring a Muggle woman in a bikini! His parents were going to hate it!

What if…?

Regulus reached out and attempted to pull one down. It couldn't be done! He smirked as he realized that his brother had already planned ahead, no doubt with an anti-removal charm.

A bubble of laughter escaped Regulus' lips. It grew into a chuckle, which grew into a laugh, which grew louder and louder, until he was doubled over, cracking up.

He laughed until he cried.


	33. Chapter 33

Author's Note: So, up until now, I've made all of the odd chapters from Sirius' point of view and all of the even chapters from Regulus' point-of-view. And so far, I haven't hit too many snags. But with this chapter, I simply couldn't decide on the point-of-view. So it's a Regulus-centered chapter but it goes back and forth between the brothers' viewpoints.

Chapter Thirty-Three

"I'd say that there's a bit of snow on the ground," James calmly deducted.

"Really?" Remus mockingly asked, "I hadn't noticed."

Sirius and the other Marauders were knee-deep in snow as they treaded across the Transfiguration courtyard, on their way to class.

"We c…c…could have gone a…around," Peter pointed out, his teeth chattering.

"Waste of time," Sirius briskly replied, "This is much easier."

"Clearly," Remus muttered.

Sirius suddenly realized that there was a fifth member to their group. Regulus was walking next to them, looking troubled.

Sirius paused and quietly said, "Can I help you?"

"I need to talk to you," Regulus whispered.

"Go on."

"Alone," Regulus added.

Sirius hesitated. The other Marauders paused and he jerked his head. They nodded and continued into the classroom. Sirius took a good look at his brother and saw that Regulus looked exhausted. There were circles beneath his eyes and his nails were bitten down to the quick.

"What's wrong?" Sirius whispered.

"I need your advice," Regulus murmured.

"Alright?"

Regulus didn't answer but his face reddened.

"Well?" Sirius asked, "What's wrong?"

"Promise that you won't laugh?"

"I can't promise that," Sirius chuckled.

Regulus sighed and muttered, "I…I sort of…I…well…"

"Spit it out," Sirius earnestly said, "McGonagall will kill me if I'm late again."

"I think that I…I think that I might…Imightfancysomeone."

Sirius' mouth curved into a smirk as he realized what his brother was trying to say.

"Shut up," Regulus growled, his face as red as Sirius' scarf.

"Reg's first crush," Sirius teased, "And you've come to your brother for advice!"

He draped his arm around Regulus' shoulders and cheerfully said, "The first thing you want to do is make your presence known. Talk to her whenever you can. I mean, don't memorize her schedule or anything…that's just creepy…"

"Sirius."

"Well, it is!" Sirius defensively cried, his arm dropping, "Honestly, just because you hang around Snivellus; that does not give you the right to act like a creep."

"Sirius, listen…"

"But you might want to say hello to her in the corridors," Sirius continued, "Maybe wish her a good morning at breakfast. Compliment her eyes or her hair…"

"Sirius!" Regulus interjected, "Listen to me!"

"Who is it?" Sirius eagerly asked.

"Hannah Wilkins," Regulus sighed, "She's in your year. A Ravenclaw."

"Yeah," Sirius replied, "I've had classes with her. Not bad looking. Not bad at all."

"Sirius," Regulus quietly said, "She's Muggle Born."

The smile faded away from Sirius' face as he immediately understood. He buried his face in his gloves. It didn't matter to him, obviously, but he knew that his parents would never approve. Regulus would be disowned and disgraced. Sirius snorted at the thought of his parents having two disowned children. He knew that his brother had the same thought, but didn't look as amused by it. On the contrary, tears welled up in his eyes.

The bell chimed, causing them both to jump.

Professor McGonagall came to the doorway, looking for any running students. A few gratefully passed her but Sirius remained where he was.

"Mister Black!" Professor McGonagall called, "Get a move on! Or do you want to spend your Valentine's Day weekend in detention?"

Sirius glanced at Regulus, who was still trying not to cry. He silently swore. He certainly did not want to spend the weekend in detention. He was planning on going to Hogsmeade with Selena Benson. The two had been seeing each other for several weeks. Selena was the curviest woman in Hogwarts with a sense of humor to match.

"Damn it, Regulus!" Sirius growled.

He grabbed his elbow and dragged him over to the classroom.

"Mister Black," Professor McGonagall continued, glancing at Regulus, "Shouldn't you be due in Charms?"

"He's not going," Sirius declared, "And I'm not going to Transfiguration."

"Mister Black…"

"We have a family emergency," Sirius explained.

She glanced at Regulus, whose eyes were still lined with tears. Something softened and she crisply asked, "What kind of emergency?"

"The family kind," Sirius remarked.

"Can't it wait until—?"

"No," Sirius flatly interjected, "Come on, Regulus."

He spun on his heel and stomped away, his pants still soaked with snow. He could hear his brother stumbling behind him. They walked down several corridors in silence before Sirius finally sat down on a stone bench. Regulus sat down next to him and his tears finally spilled.

"Alright," Sirius gently said, "It's alright."

He rummaged in his bag before pulling out a handkerchief. Regulus wiped his eyes and sadly whispered, "What should I do?"

Sirius hesitated before asking, "Do you really fancy her?"

"I think I do," Regulus bashfully admitted.

Sirius

"Then go for it."

"But what if…what if anyone finds out?" Regulus stammered, "I can't…Sirius…I…"

He broke off, wiping his eyes once more.

"You won't get disowned," Sirius promised, "Nobody's going to find out."

He would make sure of it.

"What if someone does?" Regulus whispered, "What if, hypothetically, I made a mistake and I asked her out to Hogsmeade on Valentine's Day this weekend and she said yes?"

"Hypothetically?" Sirius laughed.

"Hypothetically."

"Well _hypothetically_," Sirius amusedly said, "I would tell you to go to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop. It's bloody awful in there but it's romantic and it's going to be packed with a bunch of couples."

"No, that's bad!" Regulus cried, "I don't want to be seen!"

"No, no," Sirius quickly said, "Trust me. You'll blend into the crowd. It's much better than going to a private spot where you'll stick out."

Regulus thought about it for a moment before nodding in agreement. He still looked nervous as he asked, "What if somebody bad sees me?"

"Nobody is going to see you," Sirius assuredly said, "Alright?"

"Alright," Regulus mumbled, "Thanks, Sirius."

Sirius nodded and said, "Get to Charms before you get a detention."

"Thanks," Regulus repeated, racing off.

Sirius made his way back to the Transfiguration classroom, his mind buzzing. He realized that this was the first time that he had talked to his brother since Christmas. It was certainly their longest conversation in several months. So, Regulus was in love with a Muggle Born. Good on him, Sirius thought. He was terrified but that was love for you.

Sirius barged into the classroom, interrupting Professor McGonagall's sentence. She looked infuriated but managed to ask, "Is everything sorted, Mister Black?"

"I'm not sure," Sirius truthfully admitted, "Am I in detention?"

She pursed her lips and replied, "Not at the moment. Sit, before I change my mind."

He sat next to James, who immediately whispered, "What's going on?"

Sirius leaned over and whispered, "Fancy going to Hogsmeade this weekend?"

oOo

Sirius was falling, falling…

"OUCH!"

He landed on the ground with a harsh thud. Selena cracked up and the other Marauders smirked with amusement before lifting him to his feet. The Three Broomsticks was spinning.

Selena ordered him another drink as he climbed back onto the stool.

"I like this one, mate," James exclaimed, "I've never seen you this drunk!"

"Shut up," Sirius laughed, "What're you doing here anyway?"

"You asked us to come!" Remus cracked up, "To keep surveillance on your brother."

"He's not here," Sirius pointed out, "He's at Puddle Foots or…whatever the hell her name is. The steamy place with the confetti."

"We know!" Peter exclaimed, "We came over to report that nothing's happened."

"Good," Sirius remarked, "Back to your stations. Hup, two, three…"

He waved his hand in the air, slightly off-beat.

They rolled their eyes and marched away.

"Shouldn't you be the one babysitting your baby brother?" Selena teased, pulling him into a rather long kiss.

Sirius pulled back and wryly said, "They have it covered."

Selena laughed and asked, "Do you think Madam Rosmerta would give us a room?"

"She gave us drinks," Sirius pointed out.

"'Cause she fancies you!"

Sirius grinned and asked, "And you?"

She merely smirked and pulled him into another snog.

"SIRIUS!"

Sirius jerked back as the James and Remus raced over.

"Your cousin is here," James burst out.

Sirius felt as though he had been punched in the face. It was a lovely way to sober up. He leapt up and cried, "Who? Where?"

"Bellatrix," James quietly said, "She and Rodolphus just passed Puddifoot's. She glanced into the window but couldn't tell if it was you or Regulus; the windows were too steamy. She saw Hannah though. I think she recognized her."

"Where are they now?" Sirius urgently asked.

"Rodolphus pulled her into Dogweed and Deathcap," Remus cried, "But Bellatrix looked pretty suspicious."

Sirius wasn't aware that he was running until the cold air bit at his face.

"What's the plan?" James cried, sprinting next to him.

He glanced over his shoulder and realized that Remus and Selena were also following him. Great. Just great.

"Selena, stay here," Sirius barked.

She continued to run after him and he groaned. He didn't have time to worry. He reached the north end of the town and Peter ran towards him, shrieking, "She's at the checkout!"

The plant shop was right across the street from the tea shop. Sirius didn't even stop to evaluate his plan. He burst right into Madam Puddifoot's, raced over to his brother, wrenched him from his seat, threw him against James, heard Remus shout that _she_ was coming, murmured an apology and a plea to play along, and promptly planted a kiss on his brother's date.

There was a tinkle of bells, just as his brother roared, "Sirius, what are you DOING?"

"Well, well, well," Bellatrix's sickly sweet voice matched the restaurant's interior, "I don't know why I'm surprised to find my baby cousin kissing a Mudblood. Or should I say my baby ex-cousin?"

"I'm sorry," Sirius whispered in Hannah's ear, "I'm so sorry."

He straightened up and Bellatrix continued, "Don't look so surprised, Regulus. You should know by now that your mutt of an ex-brother likes to roll around in the mud."

"Take it easy," Sirius growled, for both his cousin's sake and his brother's.

Regulus looked infuriated at their cousin's remark. He unclenched his fists as he realized that he was breaking cover; a cover that he just realized existed. Sirius glanced over and saw that Selena was standing in the doorway. She glared at him before venomously stomping away.

"Perfect," Sirius muttered before crying, "Clear out of here, Bellatrix."

Hannah shakily spoke up, "I'm…I'm a witch. My parents are Muggles but I'm…"

Bellatrix ignored her and snapped, "How does the Mudblood taste, Sirius?"

"Bellatrix, don't," Regulus mumbled.

"What's wrong with you?" Bellatrix sniffed, "Don't tell me that you're fancying the taste of mud as well? I know Aunt Walburga wouldn't like that."

To Sirius' relief, Regulus didn't show anything on his face. Instead, he replied, "Of course not. I…don't care about her at all. She's just a…Mudblood."

Sirius tried not to wince. Regulus probably went a bit too far.

Sure enough, Hannah pushed past them, tears streaming down her face.

Sirius rapidly thought before crying, "Hannah…Hannah wait…don't go…"

After all, he had to continue the act. And yet, he knew that his brother was the one who desperately wanted to scream those words. Fortunately, the ruse seemed to work for Bellatrix.

By this time, everyone was staring. Madam Puddifoot raced over and cried, "I demand that you get out of here at once! You are disturbing my customers."

Sirius had to admire the woman's nerve and naivety.

Bellatrix reached for her wand and everyone tensed. She decided against it and instead snarled, "It's just as well. It still smells like filth in here."

She spun around and stomped outside, meeting Rodolphus in the street. She took his hand and the two Apparated away. There was another tense pause before James cried, "Alright, alright. Nothing more to see here. Get back to your snogging."

Slowly, the chatter started back up.

Sirius and Regulus were silent. The other Marauders uneasily glanced at them.

"Give us a minute?" Sirius finally asked.

"Sure," Remus agreed, "Come on, mates."

James hesitated but didn't say anything. Sirius watched as the three left.

"You beat me," Regulus finally murmured.

"Hmm?"

"I was about to kiss her."

"Sorry," Sirius sincerely said, "I just…"

"I know why you did it," Regulus assuredly said, "I'm not mad. Just…you said that nobody would see us."

"I didn't think that anybody would," Sirius admitted, "Of all the days Bellatrix had to come to Hogsmeade, it _had_ to be Valentine's Day."

Regulus smirked and wryly said, "She and Rodolphus were buying poisons. That's probably as romantic as they're going to get."

Sirius laughed before realizing just how miserable his brother looked

He put a hand on Regulus' shoulder and said, "If it's any consolation, I destroyed my date as well. And I was about to get a room."

"Yeah," Regulus admitted, "That helps. Thanks."

Sirius warmly smiled and said, "Alright, come on."

"Huh?" Regulus cried, "Where are we going?"

"We're going after her."

"No bloody way!" Regulus yelped.

"Not Bellatrix," Sirius chuckled, "Hannah! Let's go!"

He grabbed his brother's sleeve and the two took off running.

They burst through the gates and raced up the slopes of the grounds.

"There she is!" Regulus cried.

They both shouted Hannah's name until she turned around, her face red and blotchy.

"I'm sorry!" Regulus gasped, "Hear me out! Please!"

Too late. She turned around and continued to walk away.

"Wait, wait!" Sirius cried.

By now, the snow was blurring their vision.

Sirius galloped ahead of her and cried, "Listen to me…Regulus didn't mean any of it. He fancies you, alright? He does! He told me the other day; when the prat wasn't too busy blushing or stammering at the thought of you. Listen...that woman is bad. She is really bad. And Regulus would have gotten in trouble if he didn't agree with her. A lot of trouble. He would have been disowned. Damn."

Sirius, who had been walking backwards while talking, now fell. He scrambled to his feet and hastily continued, "That's why I raced in and kissed you. Sorry about that. I really am. But you see, I'm already disowned and Bellatrix already hates me. So she wouldn't think twice about seeing me with you. No offence. It's just…our family hates Muggle Borns. As…as you probably realized…sorry…But _we_ don't…and Bellatrix knows that I don't…but she doesn't know that Regulus doesn't…so he pretended not to fancy you…but trust me, the bloody idiot is head-over-heels in love with you. Damn. Speaking of which."

Sirius had fallen again. He clutched his head and murmured, "I think that I might have had a bit too much Butterbeer."

"A bit?" Regulus repeated.

"Just a bit," Sirius agreed, "By the way, has there always been two castles?"

He wearily glanced up at Hogwarts, trying to focus. He fell back, nauseous, before grunting, "So anyway, Hannah…Regulus really fancies you. He just pretended that he didn't so that Bellatrix wouldn't kill him. And I'm not exaggerating. She probably would have killed him. She's insane. And I'm sorry that I abruptly kissed you. Again, I cannot apologize enough for that. I was just protecting Reg. I mean, I'll admit that it wasn't one of my better plans."

"Kissing me?" Hannah coolly asked.

"Protecting Reg," Sirius snickered, staggering to his feet.

His brother glared at him, causing Sirius to lightheartedly grin.

Regulus turned back to Hannah and embarrassedly said, "Well, Sirius pretty much summed it up. And I understand if you can't forgive me. I just hope that one day…"

His sentence was cut off as she leaned forward and brushed her lips against his. Regulus' eyes widened in shock and he glanced at Sirius. Sirius instantly knew that it was his brother's first kiss. He chuckled and mouthed, 'Go for it!'

Regulus gently returned the kiss.

He finally pulled back and mumbled, "You do realize that…we probably have to keep this a secret. You and…me."

Hannah nodded and whispered, "We probably shouldn't go back to Hogsmeade, then."

Sirius' smile faded as he realized that there were very few places that the two could go without having the risk of being seen. He then beamed as he had an idea. A few minutes later, he was proudly leading them down a corridor on the seventh floor. The Marauders had spotted a wonderful room last year. It took several tries to get it right, but if he could…

He paced back and forth next to a bare wall, thinking:

_I need a romantic setting for Regulus and Hannah; a setting that only the three of us will know about._

After walking past the wall three times, a door began to materialize.

He triumphantly opened the door, revealing a cozy room with a table set for two and a crackling fireplace.

"Wow…" Regulus gasped, "Thanks, Sirius…"

Sirius merely grinned and said, "Happy Valentine's Day, you two…"

- Several Months Later -

Sirius loved Easter Break! Half of the school went home, meaning that the normally brash chatter of the Great Hall was nothing more than a few gentle conversations.

He gleefully grabbed the last piece of sausage.

"Sirius," James suddenly said.

"What?" Sirius asked, taking a bite, "There'll be more."

He glanced over and saw that James was looking at the Daily Prophet.

"What's wrong?" Sirius asked, lowering his fork.

James sadly passed it over. Sirius read the headline and his heart sank:

VILLAGE ATTACKED

WILKINS FAMILY SLAUGHTERED

"Death Eaters," James glumly summarized.

Sirius stared at it for a moment before whispering, "Hannah."

"She went home," James sadly whispered.

"Ah man," Sirius groaned, "Ah _man_! I need to go!"

He leapt up and raced out into the Entrance Hall. James was right next to him but Sirius shook his head and murmured, "I need to go alone."

James hesitated before reluctantly nodding and returning to his breakfast.

Sirius practically flew down the stairs and into the Dungeons.

"Black!"

Sirius turned at his name. Somebody was racing towards him, looking grave. It wasn't his brother but it _was _a Slytherin.

Severus Snape hesitated before slowly saying, "You know that I would _never_ come to you unless…it was…an emergency."

"Where is he?" Sirius immediately asked.

"His dormitory," Snape explained, "He…locked himself in…and isn't answering. I tried every spell that I could think of but…"

"Get me in there," Sirius demanded, "Now!"

Snape hesitated and Sirius angrily repeated, "Now, Sniv…!"

He broke off and cried, "Hang on! How do you even know?"

"I saw the way he looked at her," Snape sullenly explained, "It was…quite transparent."

Sirius rolled his eyes before hissing, "Let me into the Common Room or I'll blast the bloody wall open."

And still, Snape hesitated.

"Come on," Sirius growled, "I know that Slytherins are supposed to be bloody sociopaths but try to imagine how he's feeling! Imagine…imagine if…"

He suddenly had an idea and whispered, "Imagine if it was Evans."

Snape's eyes widened with horror and anger as he growled, "How did you…?"

"My brother isn't the only one who's transparent," Sirius smugly replied.

"Alright, alright," Snape muttered, "The password is 'toujours royal'."

The wall to the left sprang open to reveal a hole.

"Better than pure," Sirius mumbled, leaping through and racing up the dormitory stairs.

He was aware of the fact that Snape was walking alongside him. Sirius reached the door to his brother's dormitory and tried. Sure enough, the handle didn't move.

"Regulus!" Sirius called, "It's me! Open up!"

No answer.

"See," Snape declared, "I told you that—_what are you_…?"

Sirius took a deep breath, braced himself, and kicked the door down. Snape jumped back in shock but Sirius didn't care about him. Regulus glanced up in surprise. He was sitting on his four-poster with his knees drawn to his chest. His face was red and blotchy.

"Ah, Reg," Sirius sighed.

He spun around and towered over Snape, "Leave."

"Gladly."

Snape slipped down the stairs and Sirius entered the dormitory, pushing the door back up into the doorway and using a quick spell to reseal it.

He then turned and calmly asked, "Do you wanna talk about it?"

Regulus shook his head.

"Alright," Sirius quietly said, "Then we'll sit."

And they did. They sat in silence until Regulus finally broke. He sobbed into Sirius' shoulder. Sirius leaned forward and rested his forehead against his brother's. They sat like this for quite a while, until Regulus' tears finally dried up…

oOo

Why were funerals so depressing?

Regulus glumly watched as her friends went up to the altar. They had no idea that he had been seeing Hannah for several months. Nobody did. Save for the Marauders. And now, it made no difference. Hannah was gone. She was gone and she was never coming back. All of a sudden, nothing seemed important anymore. It didn't matter that she was Muggle Born. It seemed silly, really, that he had hidden it for so long. She had agreed to hide it but still…it was rather silly.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. Sirius was standing next to him, his face sorrowful but serene. Regulus swallowed as they listened to the sob-stories. Madam Pomfrey was up there, handing the girls tissues and offering words of encouragement.

"This is all rather depressing, isn't it?" Sirius glumly whispered.

"Yeah," Regulus agreed, "I mean…she would have appreciated the words but…"

"But what?"

"Well, she was always so cheerful," Regulus whispered, "She was always joking around and laughing and looking at the bright side of things. She liked…bright things…"

"Bright things?" Sirius repeated.

"Yeah," Regulus mumbled, "You know, bright colors. She liked colorful things; especially flowers. She loved colorful flowers."

He glanced at the bouquets of black flowers and murmured, "She would hate this. I honestly think…she would hate this. She'd be bored at her own funeral."

"Technically, it's a memorial service," Sirius pointed out, "But yeah…I get your point."

One of her friends finally finished gasping and was escorted away by the matron.

"I want to say something," Regulus mumbled, "I feel like…I need to."

"Bad idea," Sirius hissed, "Very bad idea."

"But she was my gir…"

"Nothing," Sirius whispered, "She was nothing as far as these guys are concerned."

Regulus flinched and murmured, "I have to say something."

"No, you don't," Sirius firmly said.

Regulus ignored him and headed towards the front.

Sirius abruptly grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back, restraining him.

"Really?" Regulus hissed, "What do you care if I say anything?"

"You have a reputation to keep up, Regulus," Sirius whispered, "Are you willing to ruin that for no reason?"

"No reason?" Regulus hissed, horrified at his brother's cruel words.

"Listen to me," Sirius gently said, "Listen…it won't make a difference. At least not a positive one. Don't give me that look. It won't. She's gone, Reg."

Regulus' eyes immediately stung.

"Look, I'm sorry," Sirius murmured, "But she is and revealing that you dated her isn't going to solve anything…it's just going to make things horrid for you. And you know that she wouldn't want that."

"Yeah," Regulus murmured, "You're right."

He paused for a moment before growling, "Alright, let me go. I won't say anything."

Sirius gently released him.

"On the other hand," Sirius whispered, "_I_ don't have a reputation to keep up."

"Wha—?"

Regulus watched, stunned, as his brother walked up to the podium.

Surprised whispers filled the room.

"Mis…Mister Black," Madam Pomfrey said, startled, "You want to say something?"

"No," Sirius murmured, "I just want to do something."

Without further ado, he waved his wand.

Regulus watched, amazed, as every single flower transformed. The black faded away, revealing vibrant colors.

oOo

"How's he doing?" Remus asked.

It had been a week since Hannah's funeral. Regulus had been stooping around in a low depression. His friends couldn't figure it out. They finally chalked it up to a lousy Quidditch practice and left it at that. Sirius knew better and so did the other Marauders.

"He's still depressed," Sirius mumbled.

He poked at his kidney pie, not hungry.

"It'll be alright," James promised, "He's just got to…think of the positives."

"The positives?" Sirius bemusedly repeated.

"Memory-wise," James patiently explained, "He needs to think of his happiest memories that he can; like dealing with a Dementor."

"Yeah," Sirius slowly said, "I dunno, mate…I don't think he wants to think about her."

The bell rang and they started out into the Entrance Hall. Sirius miserably watched as his brother went down to the Dungeons, instead of to his Care of Magical Creatures class.

"It doesn't have to be about Hannah," Peter softly said.

"Huh?"

"James suggested thinking of a happy memory," Peter pointed out, "His memory doesn't have to be about Hannah. It just…has to be happy."

Sirius merely grunted and they headed to Charms. Professor Flitwick's words were lost upon his ears as he miserably thought of his brother.

"Mister Black?" Professor Flitwick cried, "Mister Black!"

"What?" Sirius sighed.

The stout wizard blinked before curtly saying, "I asked you to identify the spell used to amplify one's voice."

"Oh, who cares?" Sirius snapped.

There was a rush of murmurs and even a few 'oooo's.

"That's a detention, Mister Black," Professor Flitwick declared.

"Fine," Sirius growled, resting his chin against his hands.

Professor Flitwick frowned and continued, "Now class, the correct spell is _Sonorus_. If done correctly, the tip of your wand will act as a megaphone of sorts."

He continued to drone on and on.

"All right?" James whispered.

"Fine," Sirius muttered.

James gave him a sympathetic smile and murmured, "Happy memories, mate."

"I don't have many of those," Sirius countered.

He closed his eyes and thought of his happiest memory. He could practically feel the sunburn on his shoulders and face as he and Regulus danced in the waves. They went up to the pier and ate salty fries that were drenched in ketchup. And they sang and danced. He still had the photograph somewhere. He wondered if Regulus had the conch shell.

"Mister Black, do pay attention!"

Sirius suddenly had an idea.

"Mister Black, do you hear me?"

He looked up and said, "I hear you, professor. You're talking about the spell used to turn your wand into a megaphone. But do you know what else can be used as a megaphone?"

Professor Flitwick raised his eyebrow and Sirius wryly said, "A megaphone."

He abruptly leapt up and Professor Flitwick cried, "Where are you going?"

"Things to do," Sirius cheerfully said, "People to see. Songs to sing."

"What—?"

Sirius whistled as he left the classroom and went up the corridor. James, Remus, and Peter soon fell into step next to him.

"What's the plan?" James eagerly asked.

"First," Sirius happily said, "I need to grab a record from my dormitory. Next, I need to borrow Moony's record-player."

"Go ahead," Remus agreed, "But where does the megaphone come in?"

"McGonagall has a purple megaphone," Sirius gleefully pointed out.

"What of it?" Peter asked, as they began to climb the stairs.

"When I was seven and Regulus was six," Sirius explained, "Our uncle took us on a vacation. Nothing special. We went to a Muggle beach and pier. But it was fun. A lot of fun."

His friends exchanged glances and James slowly said, "Okay…?"

"We stopped at a diner," Sirius continued, panting slightly as they finally reached the seventh floor, "I had a hamburger. Reg had a corndog. We both shared a basket of fries. He dumped way too much ketchup on them but they were still good."

"Umm, Sirius," Peter squeaked, "Not that this story isn't great…but…"

"What are you getting at?" James finished.

"We heard a song," Sirius cheerfully continued, "A Muggle song. We danced around like a bunch of idiots. It's still the happiest memory that I can think of."

"And you have the record with the song?" Remus understandingly said.

Sirius nodded and James smiled as he understood the plan.

A few minutes later, they were carrying the record and player into Professor McGonagall's office. Fortunately, the Transfiguration professor wasn't there.

"You do realize that we _are_ going to get caught?" Remus nonchalantly said, "I mean, it's going to be pretty obvious…"

"I know," Sirius agreed, "That's where you come in, Peter."

"Oh," Peter groaned, "Must I?"

Sirius nodded and he sighed, quickly racing away.

Sirius set the record player onto the desk and James found the megaphone. Sirius mischievously grinned as he gingerly set the record onto the player, fumbled with the needle, and placed the megaphone next to it, turning it on.

The music filled the entire castle. Sure enough, as the second verse began to play, the door flew open and Professor McGonagall raced in.

"Hello, Professor," Sirius carelessly said, leaning back in her office chair.

"Mister Black," Professor McGonagall crisply said, "Might I ask what you're doing?"

"Listening to Van Morrison!"

She frowned and snapped, "Give me that. Now."

"No," Sirius defensively said, leaning against the record player, "It's mine."

He was well-aware that their conversation could be heard by everyone.

"Mister Black…"

"No," Sirius childishly replied.

"Mister Black!"

"No!"

She glared at him and he smirked.

"Do you have something against Muggle music, professor?" James spoke up.

"Of course not," Professor McGonagall huffed, "I am, however, against the notion that you lot can break into my office—"

"It was unlocked."

"—and do whatever you please."

"Professor!"

Impeccable timing. Sirius tried not to grin as Peter burst through the door and cried, "You must come! Quickly! Seventh floor! Slytherins! Hexing a bunch of first-years!"

Professor McGonagall looked hesitant before finally running after him.

"She didn't even nick the record player," Sirius chuckled.

"And you just said that remarkably close to the megaphone," Remus pointed out.

Fortunately, she didn't come back. Even more fortunate, Sirius realized, their conversation had announced exactly where they were. He tensely waited.

Finally, the door opened and Regulus poked his head in.

Sirius turned off the microphone and cheerfully said, "Hullo, Reg!"

Regulus entered and closed the door behind him.

Sirius spoke with the lyrics, "Slipping and sliding along the waterfall with you."

He rolled his eyes, though his mouth twitched, threatening a smile.

Something suddenly occurred to Sirius, "Hang on. She didn't have brown eyes, did she?"

Regulus shook his head, laughing humorlessly, before murmuring, "No. Blue."

"Good," Sirius earnestly said, "Now I have a question for you, Reg."

He glanced at his friends, daring them to laugh, before talking along with the lyrics, "Do you remember when…we used to sing…?"

_Sha la la la la la la la la la la dee dah_

_Sha la la la la la la la la la la dee dah_

_La dee dah._

Sirius danced around, feeling both foolish and excited. James and Remus joined him, chuckling as they did so. Regulus didn't budge, though he finally cracked a smile.

Sirius paused, unable to hide his disappointment.

"Really?" Regulus whispered, "That was ten years ago, Sirius!"

"So what?" Sirius cried, "It's still my happiest memory."

"Yeah," Regulus bashfully said, glancing at the carpet, "Mine too."

Sirius beamed and turned back to the record player.

_Making love in the green grass_

_Behind the stadium with you_

"Well, _this_ got explicit!" Sirius exclaimed.

Regulus snorted and asked, "You've never listened to the rest of the song?"

"There was no need, until now," Sirius admitted.

Regulus burst out laughing.

Sirius beamed and his brother croaked, "Hey, Sirius?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Sirius whispered, "What is it?"

Regulus wiped his eyes and croaked, "Do you remember when we used to sing…?"

Sirius beamed and grabbed his hands. His brother joined him in dancing around like an idiot, as the music blasted through the room:

_Sha la la la la la la la la la la dee dah_

_Sha la la la la la la la la la la dee dah_

_La de dah…_


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty-Four

Regulus couldn't sleep. His mind buzzed and his stomach churned. He rubbed his eye and glumly tried to remember the last time that he had gotten a proper night of sleep. It had been quite while. He glanced at the mirror on his bedside table. His cheekbones were becoming more prominent and there were circles beneath his eyes; like crescent moons. He also noticed that his skin had become rather yellow and waxy. He knew that if he continued on like this, he would wind up looking like Snape's doppelganger.

Regulus immediately felt a pang of guilt at the cruel thought. Snape was his friend, more or less. The word was scarcely tossed around in their group but the implication had always been that they were all friends. Certainly, they were acquaintances. And yet, nobody had bothered to ask Regulus why he was looking so stressed.

He threw the covers aside and glumly went for a walk. He stopped at the bank of the lake, the wind tousling his long hair.

He sat down and buried his face in his hands.

All of a sudden, he heard a soft bark.

He turned and realized that a large dog was walking towards him. Regulus tensed and reached for his wand. He then remembered that his wand was sitting on his bedside table.

Fortunately, the dog didn't seem too hostile.

He was quite handsome—his fur was jet-black and his eyes were a remarkable shade of silver. Regulus yawned before giving the dog a small smile. He had always wanted a pet but his parents had forbade anything of the sort.

He gave a small start as the dog walked up to him. He slowly stretched his hand out and the dog shoved his head into it. Regulus accidentally scratched his nose, prompting the dog to sneeze. Regulus laughed and the dog wagged its tail.

"I didn't know that we could have dogs here," Regulus mused, "Who do you belong to?"

He realized that the dog didn't have a collar or license.

"Are you a stray?" Regulus asked.

The dog tilted his head.

"Sit," Regulus commanded.

The dog did so.

"Good boy!" Regulus cried.

He affectionately stroked the animal's head and mumbled, "You shouldn't be out here at night. Then again, neither should I."

He took a deep breath and muttered, "It's Mother and Father…"

The dog tilted his head and Regulus whispered, "They…they want me to…they keep encouraging me to follow in Bellatrix's footsteps. She's my older cousin. You probably wouldn't like her. She wouldn't like you. She hates animals. Anyway…she became a Death Eater a few months ago and…Mother and Father want me to do the same."

The dog's head snapped up, causing Regulus to jump.

"Wh…what is it, boy?" Regulus asked, "Did you hear something?"

The dog abruptly began to sniff him. Regulus giggled as he brushed his nose up and down his arm, eventually sticking it right in his sleeve.

"What're you doing?" Regulus laughed, "Blimey, keep sniffing like that and I'm going to have to start calling you Snuffles!"

He scratched behind the dog's ears and mumbled, "Anyway…I don't know why I'm telling you my bloody life-story. You're just a dumb dog. 'Can't understand a word I'm saying, can you?"

The dog affectionately licked his hand.

"I didn't think so," Regulus chuckled, "Alright…I'd better turn in…"

He gave the dog a final pat before heading up to the castle, feeling significantly better.

The next night, he once again battled with insomnia before finally trudging down to the lake. It was a wonder that no Prefects had seen him.

A single bark caused him to look up.

"Snuffles!" Regulus cried, "You came back!"

The dog raced over and tackled him.

"Alright, alright," Regulus wheezed, "Gerroff!"

He straightened up and muttered, "I got a letter from Mother today. She wanted to remind me that I was the meilleur fils and that she didn't need two sons disappointing her."

He broke off and angrily muttered, "She's been using that against me ever since Sirius left! Bloody prat."

Snuffles whined and Regulus cried, "I know, that's what I said! It's not my fault that he decided to be a traitor. And anyway, I don't think it's fair that Mother's guilting me into it, do you?"

Snuffles tilted his head and Regulus murmured, "Blimey, why do I keep talking to you, as if you can understand me?"

He gave a stifling yawn and added, "I'm turning in before I start talking to the bloody tree."

A few days later, he crept down to the lake once more. This time, he had a concealed piece of steak in his robes. He had nicked it from the kitchens.

He cleared his throat and whispered, "Snuffles?"

The dog came out of the nearby bushes. Regulus proudly handed the piece of meat over. Snuffles sniffed it for a second before devouring it.

"I can't sleep," Regulus muttered, "Bella and Cissy are both sending me letters. I…I don't know what to do…there's nobody that I can talk to…I can't just go to one of my professors and say, 'Hullo! My family wants me to join the Death Eaters. What say you?' They'll chuck me in Azkaban. Or the loony bin."

The dog curled up in his lap and Regulus softly said, "Well…I suppose that I can talk to you. Not that you say much in return!"

The dog sneezed and Regulus giggled.

"D'you know what the worst part about all of this is?" Regulus sighed, stroking the dog's fur, "My friends all think that it's a great idea…joining the Death Eaters, that is…they can't wait to sign up."

He felt his eyes sting as he whispered, "I…I don't know what to do…"

He brought his knees to his chest and didn't say anything else. Snuffles hesitated and sat next to him, allowing himself to be petted. They sat in silence until the sun rose.

Regulus finally sniffed and retreated to his dormitory to get ready for classes.

Later that night, he once again attempted to sneak outside.

Unfortunately, he ran into a small obstacle along the way.

As he was crossing the Great Hall, he saw Sirius climbing the Marble Staircase.

"What're you doing up?" Regulus snapped.

Sirius paused and mumbled, "I…err…had detention with Filch. I fell asleep in the middle of class. Got drool on the desk. He wouldn't shut up about it."

"Let me guess," Regulus sighed, "You lot were up pranking last night?"

"Yep," Sirius replied.

"What'd you do?"

He hesitated before saying, "Something with a Dungpellet. Stinkbomb. Err…it's actually rather complicated. Best not to ask."

"Okay," Regulus said, putting his hands up, "I won't."

His brother softened and asked, "Are youokay? Do you need to talk?"

Regulus frowned and muttered, "I'm peachy."

He turned around and stomped outside, going to his normal spot. It was a moment before Snuffles joined him. The dog curled up in his lap, his tail wagging.

Regulus talked to him for hours before heading inside. His mind was focused on the dog all day. At one point, he could've sworn that he heard Snuffles barking!

Wait a minute…

Regulus looked up at the familiar bark. James Potter was strutting down the corridor. Trotting next to him was…

"Snuffles!" Regulus brightly cried.

Both James and Snuffles looked up.

"Come here, boy," Regulus commanded.

The dog bounded forward and Regulus bent down, affectionately petting him.

"What're you doing with him, Potter?" Regulus curiously asked, "Is he your dog?"

"I…err…well…" James stammered, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

Had Regulus not been too busy rubbing Snuffles' stomach, he would have realized that the dog had jerked his head.

"Nah," James quickly said, "He's just a…stray."

Regulus nodded, scratching behind the dog's ears.

"How do _you_ know him?" James continued.

"I've met him before," Regulus said, brushing the fur off of his robes.

"Uh-huh," James slowly said, "Err…how many times?"

"A few," Regulus remarked, "Why is it any of your business?"

"You'd be surprised," James muttered.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and exclaimed, "Alright…well…I am officially confused. If anyone needs me, I'll be on the Quidditch pitch."

He walked away, still looking befuddled.

That night, Regulus eagerly waited by the lake.

Unfortunately, nobody came.

Regulus picked at several blades of grass and began to pick out constellations.

At long last, he heard a bark.

Regulus looked up, a smile spreading across his face. Snuffles was walking across the grounds. He wasn't heading towards him, however. The dog didn't even see him.

"Snuffles?" Regulus called.

The dog paused as he finally saw him. He then took off running.

"What are you doing, boy?" Regulus cried, ambling after him, "Where are you…?"

The rest of his sentence was cut off by his harsh gasp. Snuffles was running right towards the Whomping Willow!

"Snuffles!" Regulus shrieked, "Look out!"

He realized that Snuffles wouldn't know that this wasn't an ordinary tree. This tree tended to fight back. At least…it _did_. As Regulus drew closer, he saw that the branches were quite immobile. Nevertheless, he still raced after the dog. He couldn't let anything happen to him. He had grown far too attached.

And suddenly, Snuffles was growling.

Regulus halted in his tracks, nearly falling over. The dog was standing near the trunk of the tree. His fur was prickled and his ears were flat as he bared his teeth. Regulus looked around, certain that there was something behind him; something else that the dog was growling at. But there was nothing. The dog was growling at him.

"S…Snuffles?" Regulus weakly said, "What's wrong?"

The growl grew more vicious.

Regulus fearfully took a few steps back.

He watched, stunned, as the dog turned and slipped into a small burrow.

"Snuffles?"

Regulus hesitantly went after the dog. He slipped into a narrow tunnel. His head scraped the ceiling and he doubled over. Snuffles was rapidly putting distance between them, seemingly unaware that Regulus was even there. He briefly wondered how long the tunnel was and where it came out. He wasn't sure that he wanted to know.

Instead, he tumbled after the dog and shouted, "SNUFFLES!"

The dog paused and spun around. For a moment, Regulus could have sworn that he saw a touch of fear on the dog's face. Snuffles began to growl once more. The growl turned vicious as the dog, who had curled up with him for many nights, snapped and bit at him.

Once again, Regulus stumbled backwards. His head cracked against the tunnel and he fell onto his hands and knees. He was upset, confused, and scared. The dog's silver eyes were no longer sparkling. He snapped at Regulus again before turning around and continuing around the corner. Regulus didn't understand. A chilling howl abruptly filled the tunnel. Regulus immediately had goose-bumps. The howl was so…sad. Was that Snuffles? Was he hurt?

Regulus leapt to his feet, thankful that the ceiling was a bit higher now. He rounded the corner, coming face-to-face with his brother.

"Clear out of here," Sirius hissed.

"Wh…what?" Regulus gasped.

"Get out!" Sirius commanded, "NOW!"

Regulus' mind buzzed with questions. What was his brother doing here? How did his brother know about the tunnel? Why was the tunnel even here? Where was Snuffles?

"OUT!"

"Not without Snuffles," Regulus cried, "Where is he?"

Regulus heard another howl.

"Snuffles!"

Regulus started forward but his brother caught him and threw him back.

"It's not Snuffles you twat!" Sirius growled.

"How do you know?" Regulus gasped.

Sirius exasperatedly rubbed his eyes.

His silver eyes.

'_Just like mine,'_ Regulus thought.

Just like…

Regulus' breath caught in his throat. No…no…it…it couldn't be. Sirius couldn't be…

"Reg…"

Regulus spun around and raced away. Hot tears spilled down his cheeks as he finally realized what was going on. Snuffles had never existed. It had been Sirius all along. Sirius had been the one curled up next to him by the lakeside. Sirius had been the one listening to Regulus' problems and fears. Sirius…not Snuffles. Sirius was Snuffles.

Regulus raced across the grounds and burst through the oak doors.

"OI!"

Great. Just his luck. A Ravenclaw prefect was striding towards him.

"What're you doing out of your bed?"

Regulus was too upset to answer.

"I'm talking to you!"

The prefect took out his wand and boomed, "You get one last chance. What were…?"

"Sod off!" Regulus burst out.

"Locomotor Mortis!"

Regulus flinched as the burst of light headed towards him.

All at once, an arm shot past him. The hand grabbed the burst of light and threw it to the side. The spell crashed into the floor, making a small indentation.

"If you ever hex my brother again," Sirius growled, "I'll take the prefect badge and shove it up your arse."

The prefect backed up, his eyes widening.

He recomposed himself before growling, "Get back to your dormitory, Regulus."

"I'll ensure that he gets there," Sirius calmly said.

"You're not a prefect."

Sirius held up a small badge and cheerfully said, "I'm filling in for Remus Lupin. His aunt passed away and he had to tend to her funeral. Come along, Regulus."

Before Regulus could object, his brother had grabbed his elbow. Regulus furiously growled as Sirius marched him down to the dungeons. Instead of heading towards the Common Room, however, Sirius ducked into a broom cupboard.

Regulus collapsed, sitting on an overturned bucket. He shook with anger and sadness.

"Reg," Sirius whispered, "I'm so sorry…"

"Why…" Regulus croaked, "Why are you a dog? How are you…"

He broke off and buried his face in his hands.

"I'm an Animagus," Sirius quietly explained.

"Legally?" Regulus suspiciously asked.

"No."

He was surprised by his brother's calm answer.

He brought down his hands and growled, "Why?"

"Well…" Sirius sighed, "You know about Remus…"

Regulus nodded, wondering what that had to do with anything.

"Having company around helps werewolves during their transformation," Sirius softly explained, "The thing is…werewolves can bite other humans. Or worse."

"Okay?"

"So," Sirius finished, "James, Peter, and I decided to become Animagi so that we could keep Remus company during the full moon."

"You…" Regulus gasped, "You run around with a werewolf during the full moon?"

"It's not dangerous," Sirius quickly said, "It's only dangerous for humans. Such as when your little brother decides to be an idiot and follow you."

Regulus' eyes widened as he realized what Sirius was saying.

"T…tonight was…?"

"…the full moon."

"And that t…t…tunnel…?"

"…led to Remus."

"A…and you…"

"…saved your arse."

Regulus nodded, still trying to process everything.

Finally, he whispered, "You heard everything…"

Sirius nodded and quietly said, "And we need to talk."

"No, we don't," Regulus remarked, "Get…get away from me!"

He pushed past his brother and miserably entered the common room. He trudged up to his dorm and curled up onto the bed, waiting for the sun to rise.

He missed Snuffles.


	35. Chapter 35

Author's Note: Hello, everyone! Thank you to Majerus and alyssialui for pointing out that I accidentally re-uploaded Chapter 31 instead of Chapter 32. I have hopefully fixed this! And speaking of messing up, let's mess with the status quo of this story just for the heck of it! Instead of making this Sirius' chapter, as it should be, let's make it Regulus' chapter!

Chapter Thirty-Five

The pain.

There was so much pain.

His cousins were encouragingly whispering.

His friends were murmuring_._

The lights! The sounds!

A voice that was high and cold.

Laughter.

Potions had been passed around.

He had sipped…dizzy…lights…sounds…all a blur…

And oh, the pain.

He had screamed.

He was sure that he had even cried.

But nobody had yelled at him.

They were all very encouraging.

His cousins were praising him.

His friends were roaring.

Like a lion.

He was feverish.

He was violently ill.

He was in so much pain.

He thrashed around on the bed, moaning and calling out for someone…

Calling out for…

For…

Sirius.

He needed to talk to Sirius!

Regulus' eyes flew open.

He had to talk to his brother. Sirius would know what to do. Sirius always knew what to do. Regulus felt ill. He knew that he was going to vomit again but he resisted. His arm burned and throbbed. His head seemed to match its beat. Sirius. Had to talk to Sirius.

Where would Sirius be?

He reached the Great Hall and realized that sunlight was pouring through the windows. It was a beautiful day. Students were flooding outside to enjoy it. Sirius would be out there. To them, it was just another day. Why would they think otherwise?

Regulus tried to blend in with the other students. It wasn't easy. As he was pushed outside, he was aware that the sunlight felt like ice. He shivered and pulled his robes closer to him, making sure that his right sleeve was over his hand. He glanced around and realized that his brother was down by the lake, snoozing beneath a birch tree. The other Marauders were raucously talking next to him.

Regulus stumbled down the steep slope, falling once or twice. He shoved his thumb right through a small hole in his sleeve, ensuring that it wouldn't roll up. He finally reached the group.

James nudged Sirius, who woke with a snort. He glanced up and Regulus was dismayed to see that his eyes were narrowed with suspicion. James reached for his wand.

"Don't," Regulus quickly cried, "Please! I'm not…dangerous."

The last word came out as a squeak and he thought, 'Yet.'

"You've been talking about some dangerous things," Remus pointed out.

Regulus was suddenly aware of the fact that he really needed to pee. His breathing had escalated and, despite the fact that he was shivering, he had broken out into a sweat.

He opened his mouth but it had gone dry.

"Well?" Sirius slowly asked, standing up, "What is it?"

"I…I…" Regulus stammered.

Christ, why was he here? In the middle of a public place in broad daylight? Suppose that anyone else saw? He puffed out his chest and tried to look angry. Unfortunately, this only made the others tense. All but Sirius, who saw right past his bluff and walked towards him.

"Reg, what's wrong?" Sirius gently asked.

Regulus' chest deflated upon hearing his old nickname. He managed to croak his brother's name, but nothing more.

Sirius tilted his head and slowly said, "What is it?"

But Regulus could no longer talk.

Sirius walked forward and put a hand on his shoulder, "Reg?"

Regulus closed his eyes, suddenly wishing that he could run away.

"Is someone dead?"

He shook his head.

"Are you hurt?"

He didn't know how to answer that.

"Are you in trouble?"

Regulus' eyes flew open and Sirius' widened.

His brother's hand tightened on his shoulder as he whispered, "What is it, Reg?"

"I…c…c…can't tell you."

"'Course you can," Sirius earnestly whispered, "Reg, you can tell me."

Regulus spoke in a very small voice, "Sirius, I made a mistake."

Sirius patiently waited but Regulus couldn't tell him. Not verbally. He reached for his sleeve and Sirius' gaze lowered. Regulus watched as the concern on his brother's face melted to pure horror.

He looked up and mouthed, 'No.'

Regulus merely stared at him.

"No," Sirius growled, "Regulus…no."

"Sirius," James spoke up, "What's going on?"

His friends looked cautious and they had every right to be. The horrified expression had been replaced by one of derangement. Regulus went to take a few steps back but his brother caught his arm. Regulus screamed out in pain and suddenly a wand was shoved to his throat. It was Sirius'. His own brother was pointing his wand at him!

Regulus whimpered as Sirius yanked his sleeve to his elbow. His arm was still red and bloody but they could all see the outline of the mark. James cried out in horror, Remus gasped, and Peter crumpled into a faint.

"Sirius…"

James and Remus were looking more apprehensive by the second.

Regulus said his brother's name again.

And that was when Sirius hexed him.

Author's Note: The first and last time that Sirius would ever hex him.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter Thirty-Six

Sirius' mind was buzzing. He was aware that James was talking to him. His friend had a firm hand on his shoulder and was trying to get him to focus.

A chime echoed in the distance.

"Time for class," Sirius mumbled, "'McGonagall will…we need to…gonna be late."

He was quite sure that his words made sense, even as the others uneasily glanced at him.

"Let's go," Sirius muttered.

"Sirius, wait," James spoke up, "Do you know where you are?"

Sirius sighed and said, "We're down by the lake. It's Monday. My name is Sirius Orion Black. You're James Benjamin Potter. That's Remus John Lupin. That's Peter…blimey, I can never remember your middle name…Pettigrew. The unconscious git on the ground is Regulus Arcturus Black. McGonagall is going to be pissed if we don't hurry up."

"W—we're just going to leave your brother here?" Remus asked.

"Yes."

"Listen," James quietly said, "Why don't you just take a few minutes? You can skip Transfiguration. We'll tell Professor McGonagall that you had an…err…family emergency."

"That's the understatement of the century," Sirius darkly chuckled, "I'm fine, really."

He wasn't lying. He felt fine. He felt strangely calm. He stepped over his brother's body and cheerfully made his way to Transfiguration. The others anxiously followed him.

They walked in five minutes late, much to Professor McGonagall's chagrin.

She frowned and crisply said, "Sit down. That's ten points from Gryffindor."

Sirius shrugged it off and flopped into his seat.

"Are you sure that you're okay, Padfoot?" Peter whispered, sitting next to him.

"Fine, mate."

Peter nodded before mumbling, "I mean…you probably knew that this day was coming."

Sirius took a deep breath. That weird buzzing feeling had returned. He didn't like it.

"Peter, shut up," James growled.

"I mean that's what Slytherins do, isn't it?" Peter gently continued.

"Peter," Remus uneasily whispered, "You really should stop talking."

Sirius didn't know why they looked so anxious. He was _fine_.

"They're all a bunch of cowards," Peter finished.

Sirius was unaware of leaping up from his desk. He was unaware of jumping right over it and knocking into Peter, so that his own desk went flying. He saw red as his fist collided with his friend's nose. Students were gasping. Professor McGonagall was furiously shrieking. James and Remus were pulling him away. He hadn't done much damage; but he had done enough.

"What did I do?" Peter blubbered, holding his bleeding nose, "What did I _do_?"

"Just shut up, Peter!" James roared, "You're going to make things worse."

"MISTER BLACK!" Professor McGonagall thundered, "WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN DO YOU THINK YOU'RE—"

"Shut up, Professor," Sirius snapped.

"Sirius," James exclaimed.

"It's not her fault," Remus coaxingly said, "And it's not Peter's fault, either."

Sirius felt as though his stomach was on fire. His vision had cleared up; it was becoming _too_ clear. He could see every little detail, hear every little sound.

He swallowed and muttered, "I need to talk to Regulus."

"You need to calm down first," James advised.

"What you need to do," Professor McGonagall spoke up, her mouth thin, "Is follow me to the Headmaster's Office at once!"

Sirius ignored her and headed towards the door.

Professor McGonagall went to grab his shoulder. Sirius reflexively sent out a pulse and she jerked back. Her eyes briefly watered with pain but she remained tight-lipped. Sirius gasped, immediately feeling resentful. He hoped that his face showed it.

He took a few steps back and a few deep breaths before turning around and racing away.

oOo

He didn't find Regulus. It was just as well. In the hours that he spent wandering the castle, he had managed to calm down. Well...he had gone numb, at least. He supposed that it was better than feeling as though his insides were burning.

James eventually found him and softly asked, "Do you want to talk?"

Sirius shook his head and muttered, "Wormtail?"

"He's okay," James replied, "McGonagall wants to see you."

Sirius groaned and nodded.

"Want me to go with you?" James asked.

Sirius shook his head and reluctantly went down to the Deputy Headmistress' Office. He felt it only polite to knock on the door.

"Come in."

He sullenly entered and she said, "Ah, Mister Black."

"Don't expel me," Sirius immediately said, "Professor, please! Take away points! Throw me in detention…just…don't…"

He broke off and Professor McGonagall crisply said, "Mister Black, I have no intention of expelling you. Sit down."

Sirius stared at her, quite bewildered, before doing so.

"When I touched your shoulder," Professor McGonagall quietly said, "You let off a strange burst of energy. Many young children emit such an energy, though not nearly as powerful, whenever they feel threatened or scared."

Sirius stared at her for a moment before saying, "Well…that's…that's very interesting, Professor."

She stared right back before saying, "It is, indeed. This is sometimes known as the defensive charge. Some wizards and witches have been able to master this technique. Not only can they reflexively send out a pulse, they can also bring the energy forth…usually in some sort of physical resemblance. Has this ever happened to you, Mister Black?"

Sirius immediately thought of the balls of light, the small wave, the foyer of his house exploding as he channeled every bit of energy he had into wave after wave…

"Nope."

Professor McGonagall sighed at his calm answer.

"I know about your history, Mister Black," Professor McGonagall quietly said, "Not specific details, mind you. However, I do know that you did not grow up in a happy household. I know that you've had to bottle everything up, just to get through the day. And I know that sometimes, you need to let it out. If you don't want to reveal any information, that's fine. But do not, for one second, think that I'm naïve."

Sirius stared at her for a moment before closing his eyes. His demeanor was slipping.

He eventually opened them and took a deep breath, reluctantly pushing. The ball of energy appeared in his hands. He gave it a small smile, feeling the warmth on his fingertips.

"Incredible," Professor McGonagall whispered.

"This is nothing," Sirius chuckled, "I once made it the size of my head. 'Nearly blew up my house."

He grinned at the thought and slowly brought his hands together, diminishing the ball.

"I see," Professor McGonagall quietly said.

Sirius gazed at her before sheepishly saying, "Long story."

"I won't ask," Professor McGonagall said, "But I must ask you this…you seemed to have experienced a nasty bit of shock before entering my classroom earlier. Hence attacking your friend and sending off reflexive pulses. And I must ask…what's wrong?"

Sirius' face clouded over and he muttered, "It's…it's nothing…"

"Clearly," Professor McGonagall cynically said.

She folded her hands and asked, "Is it something to do with the other Marauders?"

Sirius shook his head. His throat was beginning to burn.

"Your family, then?"

"The Marauders are my family," Sirius pointed out.

"What about your brother?"

His eyes were beginning to sting.

Professor McGonagall stared at him for a moment before asking, "What happened?"

Sirius remained silent.

"Nothing you say will leave this room," Professor McGonagall firmly said, "You have my word. You can tell me."

"No, I can't!" Sirius burst out.

He was laughing, despite the fact that his eyes were brimmed with tears.

"I can't tell you," Sirius croaked, "I…I can't."

He wiped his eyes and mumbled, "I need to find Regulus."

He stood up and walked away, leaving a stunned Professor McGonagall in his wake.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Regulus needed to find Sirius.

He needed to talk to him; to explain himself.

And he needed to not get hexed.

He still couldn't believe that Sirius had hexed him.

Regulus aimlessly wandered the corridors. Classes didn't seem important to him anymore. The only thing that was important now was finding his brother.

At long last, he did.

He rounded the corner and saw Sirius and James walking up ahead. The latter had his hand on Sirius' shoulder and was gently talking to him.

"Hey," Regulus croaked, "HEY!"

Even he was surprised by the volume of his voice.

Sirius turned, looking dangerous but unarmed. James had quickly grabbed his wand from his beltloop. Sirius glared at him but James refused to give it back.

"If he makes one wrong move," James declared, "I'll hex him."

Sirius grunted. Both brothers were well aware of the fact that the other students had slowed down and were now eagerly listening in.

"You left," Regulus growled, "You left, Sirius."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sirius spat.

"You ran away," Regulus cried, "Remember?"

Sirius groaned in frustration, "Yeah, I remember. 'Course I remember. What does that have to do with anything?"

"You left me there," Regulus whispered, "You left me behind."

The anger on his brother's face melted into something else as he said, "I asked you to come with me. I _begged_ you. You refused."

"I…I couldn't," Regulus stammered, "You knew that I couldn't."

"That's not my fault," Sirius firmly said, "Because for the first time in my life, I had the chance to break away. I wasn't going to let that go."

Regulus angrily shook his head. Sirius just didn't get it.

"You selfish bastard," Regulus muttered.

Sirius was expressionless as he murmured, "Yeah. I'm a selfish bastard, alright."

He spun on his heel and stomped away.

"No," Regulus groaned, "Don't give me that!"

Sirius stopped and growled, "Give you what?"

"Your stupid expressionless answers," Regulus snapped, walking closer, "Would it honestly kill you to actually show some emotion for once?"

Sirius was quiet for a moment before saying, "You cry enough for the both of us."

Regulus flinched at the remark. His eyes were already stinging. Nevertheless, he stepped forward and cried, "Come on, Sirius! Talk to me, for once! Stop concealing everything!"

"There's nothing to talk about," Sirius calmly said.

"Sirius, please!" Regulus begged, "I need your help!"

Sirius stopped again, clenching his fists. Even though his back was still turned, Regulus could tell that he was hesitating.

Then: "You should have thought of that sooner."

"Forget it," Regulus sighed, "Why would I think that you would help me?"

He turned away himself and muttered, "Selfish bastard."

Something hit him in the back of his head.

He glanced down and growled, "A quill?"

He spun around and Sirius quietly said, "James took my wand."

The crowd had gotten larger. Remus and Peter had appeared on either side of James. He had his arms out, preventing them from going any further.

"That's alright, though," Sirius continued, "Because you and I both know that I don't need my wand."

He swirled his hands through the air and the golden ball of energy appeared.

"Neither do I," Regulus growled.

He slashed his own arms through the air and a small ball of energy appeared in each hand. He held onto them and lowered his arms onto either side.

Several students gasped.

James swore and backed away, pushing the other Marauders back as he did so.

The brothers began to circle around the corridor.

"You know what?" Regulus hotly said, "I stand by what I said. You cannot possibly blame me for what I did…"

"I can and I will," Sirius cut over him.

"…because you ran away and suddenly I was caught in a family where all we talked about was the Dark Arts…"

"This isn't my fault."

"…and they talked to me every single day until…"

"For once in your life, own up to your mistakes!"

"…I finally decided to make Mother and Father pr—what's that supposed to mean?" Regulus shrieked.

"You know perfectly well what it means," Sirius coolly replied, "But hey, I'm just the selfish bastard, right?"

He dropped the ball of energy and the corridor shook. Regulus was secretly grateful that he didn't transform it into the wave of energy. He didn't want to deal with that. He closed his hands and his own energy faded away. Sirius spun around once more and stomped away.

"What do you want from me?" Regulus shrieked.

"I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND!" Sirius roared, whirling around.

The lights overhead popped.

"Everyone, clear out of here, NOW!" James screamed.

His words were magic. People ran in every direction to avoid Sirius' rage.

"I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND!" Sirius repeated, "I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING THAT I'VE HIDDEN FROM YOU!"

He stepped forward and hissed, "D'you ever wonder how I fixed everything? How I fixed the vase that one time? Did you ever wonder how I fixed everything that you ended up accidentally breaking or spilling or saying? Did you ever wonder why you didn't get in trouble for all of the pranks that _we_ pulled? Oh granted, you got your share of punishments but it certainly wasn't a fair share. Did you ever stop to wonder why? Did you ever wonder why I was always 'sick'? Why I could never leave my room? I wasn't allowed."

A lump was swelling in Regulus' throat. His own words rung in his head; he had told his brother to stop concealing everything…to show some emotion…because Regulus remembered dozens of conversations where Sirius had been blank-faced and quiet. Regulus remembered dozens of days where he knew that Sirius was hiding something.

"What are you talking about?" Regulus asked in a small voice.

"Oh, come on!" Sirius spat, "You're intelligent. I know that you know; even if you've been trying to deny it for the past decade. Mummy Dearest banned me to my room every time I stepped out of line. Which was quite often, apparently."

His face was half-hidden by the shadows as he continued, "And I really wish that they just left me there. But they didn't. They hexed me. S…so many hexes. Some legal. Most not. To be fair, the illegal ones didn't really start until after my seventh birthday. You remember yours, right? The birthday that you forgot. The birthday that I helped you forget. Well, I didn't forget. They wouldn't let me. No, you see, they continued that special right of honor, even after my birthday ended. Especially when I misbehaved. Which, again…was apparently quite often. And the screaming. God, the screaming. You've only heard it a handful of times in your lifetime. You don't know how lucky you are. Imagine having to endure that, day after day, along with the torture and pain…when you did nothing wrong."

Something changed in his eyes as he whispered, "I did nothing wrong…and I still took it all…because of you."

He swallowed and croaked, "But yeah…I'm the selfish bastard, alright."

Regulus was speechless.

He had wanted his brother to open up for years.

And here he had.

Only, now…now Regulus had no idea what to say…

Finally, he stammered, "W…why? W…w…why would you do all of that?"

"Why?" Sirius whispered, "Because…you're my bloody brother!"

He wiped his eyes and mumbled, "And that's what big brothers do."


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter Thirty-Eight

"Regulus, come on!"

Both Sirius and Regulus jumped at the booming voice.

Sirius looked past his brother and saw that his friends—Avery and Mulciber—were standing at the edge of the corridor. Sirius immediately knew that they had the mark as well.

"We're leaving this school," Avery boomed.

"Good riddance," Mulciber added, spitting on the floor.

Sirius was slowly beginning to realize the severity of the situation.

He glanced back at Regulus and saw, for the first time, not his brother but a Death Eater.

A Death Eater that was backing away, to join his fellow soldiers.

Death Eaters were at Hogwarts.

And for the first time, Sirius truly began to understand the most upsetting part about this entire ordeal. For months, the Marauders had been talking about joining Dumbledore's secret army—the Order of the Phoenix. Even the Headmaster had said that four spots had been reserved for them. In just a few weeks, upon their graduation, they would spend their days fighting Death Eaters. Only now, it looked like the wait had been significantly shortened. And even worse, instead of a faceless enemy, he was looking at his brother.

The seconds ticked by, each one more tense than the last.

His eyes darted around. The other Marauders had stayed but a majority of the crowd had dispersed at James' earlier shout. Good, Sirius thought. Less people to get hurt.

"What do we do?" Remus whispered.

"James," Sirius pointedly said, "Isn't Mr. Potter an Auror?"

James glanced at Peter and jerked his head, silently ordering Peter to contact him. The plump boy raced off to the nearest classroom, pulling out a bag of Floo Powder.

Regulus continued to slowly back away.

"Regulus," Sirius quietly said, stepping towards him, "Listen to me…I don't want to hurt you…I can help…"

"Come on!" Avery roared.

He slashed his wand and Sirius screamed as he was blinded. From the shouts of his friends, he deduced that James and Remus were hit with the jinx as well.

He heard Regulus running away.

He shouted his brother's name, to no avail.

Then, a new set of footsteps.

"What's going on?" Professor McGonagall shrieked.

"Death Eaters," Sirius gasped, rubbing his eye, "They're Death Eaters. Stop them!"

"What…what do you mean?"

"THEY'RE BLOODY DEATH EATERS!" Sirius roared.

His vision cleared in time to see Regulus sprint around the corner. Professor McGonagall had lifted her wand, though she had frozen at the thought of hexing one of her pupils.

"You can't hex him, can you?" Sirius quietly said, straightening up.

Professor McGonagall's lack of an answer was enough.

"Yeah," Sirius muttered, "That's what I told myself, too."

Without warning, he grabbed her wand and raced after his brother.

The Marauders ran behind him, ready to apprehend the Death Eaters.

They reached a fork in the corridor. Avery and Mulciber ran left and Regulus turned into the courtyard.

Sirius raced in after him as Regulus ran towards the opposite doorway. Sirius slashed the wand and flames leapt up in said doorway. Regulus screeched to a halt, staggering slightly. He turned, his eyes widening in shock.

"Regulus, listen to me," Sirius softly said, "Let me help you…"

He tried to make his voice as gentle as possible as he said, "I know that this isn't what you want. I know that you were scared and you made a mistake. You can still fix it."

"I can't exactly take the mark off with water," Regulus spat.

"Then, we'll run away," Sirius coaxingly said, "You and I. You don't have to go back to Voldemort. We can start a new life. Together. I'll protect you…just like I always have."

Regulus hesitated before croaking, "No! Don't you see? It's too late!"

Sirius took a deep breath before reluctantly nodding.

He slashed his wand again and a roaring flame appeared behind him, in the doorway that he had just entered. He moved his arms and both fires spread around the perimeter of the courtyard, eventually colliding with each other. There was no escape.

On the other side of the fire, James roared, "Sirius!"

"I've got this, mate," Sirius called back.

He took a deep breath and added, "We've been training for this for years."

Regulus raised his eyebrows and lifted his wand. Sirius tensed but he saw that his brother was merely burning a line in the ground. Sirius' shoulders sagged and he stepped towards it. Regulus did the same and the two bowed.

"One," Regulus whispered.

"Two," Sirius murmured.

They both cried, "Three."

Unlike the wretched duels in their confined attic, Sirius and Regulus both gave everything that they had. Gargoyles and stone pillars smashed around them as they sent hexes and jinxes back and forth. They would dive to the ground, only to leap up and attack once more.

Adrenaline fueled them, along with a great deal of anger.

Oddly enough, neither one of them brought up their defensive charge. They didn't need them. Their hexes were powerful and merciless. Even though neither one was hit, they could feel the power as the spells whizzed past them, missing them by mere inches.

Sirius finally crouched down, catching his breath. He could hear shouts and the sounds of running footsteps. The Aurors had arrived. They would end this.

Sirius hesitated.

They would take Regulus to Azkaban.

Or worse.

He thought back to one of the many lessons that he had with his parents. His mother had screeched that Aurors had been given the ability to use the Unforgivable Curses. Knowing his parents, it had probably been all lies. Just like everything else.

Still…

He couldn't take that chance.

Sirius straightened up and faced his brother.

Regulus raised his wand and Sirius raised his own.

He abruptly stomped his foot twice.

A cue.

Time seemed to slow down.

He saw Regulus' eyes widen as his brother understood the gesture. His mouth twitched and for a fleeting second, it looked like he was about to smile.

Sirius raised his wand and roared, "STUPEFY!"

His brother was ready and shrieked, "Protego!"

The spell rebounded and Sirius was thrown into darkness.

A few moments later, he felt somebody tap his cheek.

He croaked Regulus' name, only to realize that it was a different brother.

James was kneeling next to him, his face shining with worry.

"Did he get away?" Sirius whispered.

James nodded and helped him to his feet. The flames had diminished. Several Aurors and professors were inspecting the damage.

"They all did," James mumbled, "Avery and Mulciber conjured a Portkey. We tried to stop them but they were too fast."

"And Regulus?" Sirius urgently asked.

"He summoned his broom and flew away," James mumbled, "As soon as he was on the outskirts of the Hogwarts boundaries, he Apparated."

Sirius tried not to show his relief.

"Sirius, what happened?" James quietly asked.

Sirius hesitated and simply said, "I suppose he just…overpowered me."

James stared at him for a moment before skeptically saying, "Yeah…"

Sirius returned the long look, daring him to say anything else.

Finally, James whispered, "I know that you've spent your entire life protecting him. But you can't…you can't keep doing that!"

"Why not?" Sirius calmly replied, "He's my brother."

"Sirius, he's a Death Eater."

Sirius took a deep breath and mumbled, "I know…but he's still my brother."

Author's Note: So, obviously a lot of emotion in the last three chapters. And a lot of you are probably wondering why Sirius and Regulus seem to be so inconsistent, as far as giving and receiving help goes. One minute, Sirius is refusing to help, the next he's pleading with Regulus to let him help. One minute, Regulus is begging for help, the next he's refusing it. I promise that I'm not bad at continuity! I wrote it this way on purpose. Why? Because they are confused and emotional and caught between two sides. On the one hand, no, Sirius doesn't want to help. He feels as though he's spent his entire life helping Regulus, only for Regulus to end up becoming a Death Eater, the very thing that he's supposed to be fighting in a few weeks. But on the other hand, Regulus is his brother. Above all else, Reg is his brother. And so, of course Sirius will try to help. Meanwhile, Regulus is caught between wanting help and realizing that it's too late. Much like Draco, he doesn't know what is right and what is wrong and he ends up making a lot of bad mistakes because of it. He may regret those mistakes but he knows that it's too late to undo them. The damage has been done. Speaking of that parallel, last night, I thought of a great idea for an A/U featuring Regulus visiting Draco so keep an eye out for that! I'm also in the process of writing a much happier (I promise!) A/U where the Potters adopt Sirius and Regulus at an early age. But until then…we have a few hard chapters coming up. The story will have a bittersweet ending…but…it's still going to be pretty bitter. Just think, it started off with Sirius curled up next to his brother in his crib as they listen to a children's story. And now…


	39. Chapter 39

Author's Note: Well, here we are. There are four chapters (technically three and an epilogue) left and I see no reason to wait until next week if they're complete. So, this is the final update! It's been an emotional couple of months but I've definitely enjoyed it!

This chapter goes back and forth between the brothers' points-of-view as they try to come to grips with the fact that they're both on two different sides of war.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

For the second time in his life, Sirius found himself begrudgingly thanking his father.

After all, it was Orion who taught him how to fight.

Of course, he had hoped that Sirius would fight for the Death Eaters. Instead, Sirius was simply fighting Death Eaters.

He raced up the cobblestone street, alert and ready for action.

He gracefully swirled around, whipping his wand through the air. A _crack _sounded out and the two Death Eaters crumpled to the ground. Sirius grinned and raced forward, high-fiving James. He then quickly pulled up a shield charm as several hexes rained down. James backed up next to him and Sirius held the charm up like an umbrella. Meanwhile, James rapidly sent off hexes, aiming for the hooded soldiers.

"Where'd you learn to aim?" Sirius snorted, "Trade with me."

The two tossed each other their wands and Sirius fired the curses. Every curse managed to hit a Death Eater, rendering them unconscious.

James and Sirius both grinned and quickly exchanged wands again.

"They're reviving," James cried.

Sure enough, the Death Eaters were all getting back up.

"Hey!" Sirius exclaimed, "No fair!"

The Death Eaters continued to send hexes; this time the power was tenfold.

Sirius and James ducked, though the latter managed to get hit. He staggered backwards and ultimately crumpled. Sirius frowned. Nothing was worse than a fixed match.

He pushed and formed the ball of energy. He then formed it into the strange wall which he sent out in every direction. The Death Eaters' heads were ultimately ripped off.

"Alright, alright!" Moody roared, "Bloody showoff."

Sirius snickered and lowered his hands.

Evidently, the training session was over.

Moody glanced at the fallen Death Eater dummies before barking, "You cheated."

"You cheated first," Sirius retorted.

"Fair enough," Moody admitted, "But you can't use your little energy trick on the battlefield."

Moody was right.

On a bloody pasture in the center of Scotland, Sirius realized that he couldn't stay in one place long enough to push out the wall of energy.

Then again, perhaps he was thinking too big.

Perhaps he needed to forget about the energy and focus on the charge that caused it.

A Death Eater raced towards him, holding a knife of all things.

Sirius' defensive charge flared and he grabbed onto the Death Eater, sending out a pulse.

She shrieked and fell to the ground.

Sirius had enough time to smirk before the Death Eater snapped, "I see you've learned a trick from dear old Unc'ie Alphie."

Sirius frowned as Bellatrix removed her mask and silkily continued, "Did you go to the old geezer's funeral last month? I bet you were the only one. Well, you and Andromeda."

She uttered the last word as if it was a curse.

Sirius' frown deepened, though she was right. It had only been the two of them.

Bellatrix abruptly grabbed the knife. Sirius dodged out of the way, though it still managed to glide against his arm. He gasped out in pain before restraining her.

"Who brings a knife to a duel?" Sirius growled.

"Take him Regulus!" Bellatrix shrieked.

Sirius glanced up and saw a smaller Death Eater standing several feet away.

"It's a bloody family reunion," Sirius mumbled.

He took a deep breath and dictated, "Bellatrix Lestrange, you are under arrest for…"

"You're not the only one who learned how to do nonverbal magic!" Bellatrix snapped.

Sirius yelled out as she suddenly let out a burst of fire.

He was knocked to the ground. The back of his head hit a rock and everything became a sickening haze. It was a moment before his vision cleared.

When it did, his heart sank.

Moody was fighting his brother…and was winning.

Regulus eventually cornered himself into a tree.

Moody menacingly walked towards him.

Sirius dazedly leapt to his feet and ran forward.

He stepped in front of Regulus, just as Moody raised his wand.

Moody faltered before crying, "Budge up, Black!"

"No," Sirius quietly said.

Moody gave him a strange look and growled, "Move! Now!"

Sirius remained standing where he was.

His brother whispered his name.

"Black," Moody warningly said, "I'll give you to the count of three before I charge you for insubordination. One…two…"

Sirius jumped as he heard a small pop. He glanced over his shoulder and was surprised to realize that Regulus had disappeared.

"Huh," Sirius slowly said, "I…didn't know he could Apparate."

He sheepishly glanced back at Moody, who looked venomous.

"You never reached three," Sirius pointed out.

"Get out of my sight," Moody barked, "Before I hex you into the next century."

"But…you can see everything," Sirius remarked.

"GO, BLACK."

Sirius sighed with relief and raced away.

That had been a close one.

oOo

Regulus walked into the record store and was rather surprised when nobody hushed or moved away from him. Then again, why would they? His face was alongside his friends' in the Daily Prophet Wanted section. But naturally, these Muggles didn't know that. Many of them smiled at him and offered a pleasant greeting.

A shopkeeper walked up and cheerfully asked if he needed help.

"Do you have any Van Morrison records?" Regulus mumbled.

"Indeed, I do!"

The man bustled around for a moment or two before pulling the record out of a stack.

Regulus thanked him and paid for it.

The shopkeeper told him to have a good day and Regulus repeated the remark.

Once outside, he ducked around the corner. His eagle-owl was sitting on the edge of the rubbish bin, awaiting his command.

Regulus pulled a quill and piece of parchment from his pocket.

He carefully wrote his brother's name on top but didn't know what else to say.

There was plenty that he _could _have said.

And yet, he merely found himself scrawling:

_Happy Birthday_.

The owl took both the record and the note and flew off into the night.

Regulus swore as he realized that he had forgotten to sign it.

That was alright, though.

Sirius would know who it was from.

oOo

His brother was going to die.

Sirius' heart was racing.

He and James were standing in the foyer of the mansion of Cornelius Fudge—the Deputy Minister. Several Death Eaters had lit the place on fire.

Fortunately, Fudge had managed to escape.

Unfortunately, two Death Eaters had remained.

The taller one had continued to spread the fire, despite the smaller one's protests.

And that's when James and Sirius had arrived, ready to apprehend them.

Yet, quite suddenly, the taller one had wrapped his arm around the shorter one's neck and had pointed his wand to his captive's throat.

They had turned around and that's when Sirius' heart had plunged to the floor.

The first Death Eater was Degoutant—a vile, merciless, man who was missing a good chunk of his teeth and a good chunk of his humanity.

The second Death Eater was Regulus.

"Alright," James was softly saying, "It's alright."

He took an inch forward and whispered, "Let him go…and we'll let you go…"

"You're bluffing!" Degoutant spat.

"No," James assuredly said, "I'm not."

Regulus whimpered.

"Lower your wands," Degoutant roared, "NOW!"

"Okay," James agreed, bending down and placing his wand on the floor, "See, I'm doing as you said. It's okay. Let him go and you can walk out of he—"

"Avada Kedavra!"

Time seemed to slow. The blast of green light erupted from the wand.

Sirius lowered his wand, feeling surprisingly calm.

It hit Degoutant square in the face. The Death Eater looked surprised for a moment before crumpling to the ground like a ragdoll. Sirius lowered his wand and heard James swear. Regulus fell forward and for a moment, Sirius was afraid that the spell had hit him. Fortunately, his adrenaline was merely crashing. Sirius reached forward and caught him.

"Christ, Sirius!" James shrieked, "You…you killed him!"

Sirius ignored him. He had gone completely numb. Regulus was trembling, James was frantically screaming, the flames were rapidly spreading, and the snow was falling through the hole in the thatched roof. Sirius hardly noticed any of it.

"Sirius," James whispered, "We need to go."

"Right," Sirius croaked.

"S…Sirius," Regulus spoke up, "Thank you."

"Get out of here," Sirius whispered, "Now!"

Regulus Apparated away, just as several other Order members burst through the door.

"What happened?" Moody barked.

"I killed him," Sirius softly said.

"Are you injured?"

Sirius shook his head.

"Good," Moody remarked, "Get back to the headquarters and give your statement to Dumbledore. You too, Potter."

"I'm…I'm not under arrest?" Sirius stammered.

"Orders have a license to kill," Moody pointed out, "Especially, if it's necessary. Now get out of here, before this building collapses."

James headed towards the door and Sirius went after him.

He then stopped.

There was something about Moody's penultimate sentence…

He turned and saw that Moody was gazing at him…with both his regular eye and his enchanted one. His enchanted one…

"You saw what I did," Sirius softly said, "Didn't you?"

"You did what was necessary," Moody quietly said.

Sirius stepped forward and cried, "I killed a man!"

"Out of necessity," Moody remarked, "This is war, Black!"

Sirius dazedly nodded and James put a hand on his shoulder, steering him away.

"Would you have done it?" Sirius whispered, "If it was me?"

James sighed and nodded.

"I didn't know we had a license to kill," Sirius said, as casually as if he was talking about the weather.

"Neither did I," James weakly chuckled, "That's…erm…good to know."

"Moody's right," Sirius mumbled, "Sometimes…you have to do what's necessary."

oOo

Regulus wandered around the battlefield, looking for any signs of life. He had been instructed with the marvelous task of killing off any Aurors and members of the Order who were still gasping for breath. So far, he hadn't run into any. Thank Merlin. He honestly wasn't sure what he would do if he _did. _He couldn't kill them. He had never killed anyone.

All of a sudden, he heard a sharp whine.

He raced forward and saw that a dog was lying in pink snow.

"Snuffles?" Regulus whispered.

He realized his mistake and gasped, "Sirius!"

He knelt down and saw that there was a gash in the dog's side.

That would explain the pink snow.

He hesitated. The battlefield was eerily silent. There were no other signs of life.

He couldn't exactly take Sirius to a hospital. A vet, maybe? No, don't be stupid! He needed to get help. An owl wouldn't be quick enough. There was a Muggle village nearby. He supposed that he could look for a telephone. No, no.

What was it that they had learned in Defence Against the Dark Arts?

Patronuses could be used to find people.

He had never casted a Patronus before.

Regulus took a deep breath and thought of that day at the beach…with the seashell and the fries and the ice-cream…

He whirled his wand through the air and whispered, "Expecto Patronum!"

He barely glanced at the silver shape, instead focusing on his brother.

"Find James Potter," Regulus demanded, "Now!"

Fortunately, the shape quickly raced away.

Not knowing what else to do, he gently petted Sirius' head until James showed up.

He took off his cloak and Regulus wordlessly helped him slide the dog onto it.

"You're not surprised to see me?" Regulus eventually asked, breaking the silence.

"No," James snorted, "Besides, I knew that it was you as soon as I saw the Patronus."

"The Patronus?" Regulus repeated.

"Yeah, the animal," James distractedly said, "Alright, do you want to Apparate away before I have to arrest yo—?"

Regulus had already turned on the spot.

He landed in a forest several mile away.

He hadn't even paid attention to the shape that his Patronus had taken.

He raised his wand and whispered, "Expecto Patronum."

A large animal shot out from the tip.

At first, Regulus was immensely confused.

Why would his Patronus be a wolf?

Yet, as he looked closer, he saw that it wasn't a wolf at all.

It was a large dog.

oOo

The cold wind tousled Sirius' hair as he walked up the cobblestone pathway. His eyes suspiciously darted about. The moon was causing shadows to dance across the park. Sirius anxiously pulled out his wand, though he sincerely hoped that he wouldn't have to use it.

"Sirius?"

Sirius spun around.

His heart reflexively warmed as he spotted his younger brother standing beneath a tree.

The happy feeling immediately washed away as he reminded himself that this was no longer the Regulus that he had known. This was a Death Eater. This was a cold-blooded man who could kill him at any moment. This was a monster.

"What do you want, Regulus?" Sirius growled.

"How are you doing?" Regulus meekly asked.

"Do you honestly think that this is the moment for small-talk?"

His brother deflated and mumbled, "I was just wondering how you were."

"Spectacular," Sirius dryly remarked, "You?"

"I'm…"

Regulus broke off, evidently not knowing the answer.

"Brilliant," Sirius snorted, "I'm so glad that you're having a good time."

He sadly frowned as he stared at his brother. Regulus was gauntly and looked as though he was going to collapse. His ribcage poked through his robes and his sleeves hung from his bony arms. His eyes were sunken and sat above dark circles.

"Oh, Reg," Sirius sighed.

Regulus' eyes momentarily bristled.

He recomposed himself before shortly saying, "Look, I need to talk to you."

"About what?"

"Someone…someone who is close to you…is a Death Eater."

Sirius felt as though an icy hand was tickling his spine.

He swallowed and croaked, "Yeah, I'm looking at him."

"Not me," Regulus grunted.

"W…who?"

"I can't tell you," Regulus sadly replied.

Sirius felt his panic melt into anger.

He balled his fists and roared, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T…?"

"Shut up!" Regulus hissed, "There's a reason that I wanted to meet discreetly."

"Sorry," Sirius mumbled, "Alright…I'll look into it."

He hesitated before adding, "Why are you telling me this?"

"I dunno," Regulus admitted, "I don't know much of anything anymore."

"Death Eater life isn't as glorious as you had thought?" Sirius cynically said.

"I knew that it wasn't going to be glorious," Regulus muttered.

"But you joined anyway," Sirius sighed, "Just to please Mummy and Daddy Dearest and your bloody friends. And now, you don't know how to get out."

"What should I do?" Regulus whispered.

Sirius stared at him for a moment before quietly saying, "Regulus, for once in your life, do what you want. Do what you think is best."

"Gee, thanks," Regulus sarcastically replied.

Sirius chuckled, realizing that it wasn't the best advice. Still, it was all he had to give.

He started away but his brother called him back.

"The other night…" Regulus softly said, "I told Mother…that I loved her."

"Continuing the family tradition of incest, eh?" Sirius teased.

Regulus gagged and mumbled, "Ugh…blimey…don't even…ugh…"

Sirius laughed and his brother glared at him before saying, "I just wanted to see how she would react. She merely grunted, of course. But…I've been thinking…most parents tell their children that they love them. But Mother and Father…well…"

"Never did," Sirius mumbled, "Yeah, they're cold-hearted bastards."

He was quiet for a few seconds before brightly saying, "Well, glad you figured that out."

"We never said it to each other either," Regulus pointed out.

Sirius rolled his eyes and amusedly said, "Yeah, but that's different."

"What do you mean?"

"It never needed saying," Sirius gently explained.

And for a moment—just a moment—his brother smiled.

Sirius turned around and walked away.

"Hey."

He looked over his shoulder.

"I'll hex you," Regulus cheerfully said.

Sirius merely stared at him, confused and slightly wary.

His shoulders sagged as he eventually realized what Regulus was talking about. His brother had said those words several times before, each time for a different reason…a funny little tradition that had been lost to their childhood.

Sirius grinned and remarked, "Not if I hex you first."


	40. Chapter 40

Author's Note: I cried. I legitimately cried. I finished this chapter on Saturday at midnight and spent an hour afterwards trying to pull myself together. That being said…

Chapter Forty

A _crack_ caused Regulus' eyes to fly open.

He cried out as he spotted a figure at the foot of his bed.

"Master Regulus," Kreacher croaked, "I've returned."

Regulus sighed with relief. He hadn't seen the house-elf in a month; not since the Dark Lord had requested the service of a house-elf. Regulus had been more than happy to offer Kreacher, who had been more than happy to fulfil this service.

Regulus yawned and turned on the lamp on his bedside table.

What he saw caused him to cry out once more.

The house-elf that he was looking at was not Kreacher. It couldn't be. His skin had wrinkled and was a dingy gray, instead of the golden brown that it normally was. He was covered in grime and muck. But the eyes…

Regulus' mouth fell open.

Kreacher's eyes were filled with so much pain.

"Wh…what did he do to you?" Regulus gasped, "I order you to tell me."

Kreacher told him everything. With every passing minute, Regulus found himself growing more and more horrified…and more and more afraid.

The sun had risen by the time the house-elf finished his tale.

At long last, he whispered, "I'm…I'm so sorry, Kreacher."

Kreacher looked bewildered as he replied, "You needn't apologize, Master."

Regulus felt sick.

He shouldn't have sent Kreacher.

He shouldn't have sent anyone!

He always knew that Voldemort was twisted but…he had never imagined _this_…

The next few months passed by in a blur. Regulus found himself saving clippings of the Daily Prophet—different articles that talked about Voldemort's ruthlessness. He hung them on his bed, covering the painting that he had once done of the family crest. He once overheard his parents boasting about how he used them for momentous. In a way, they were right. They served as a reminder of Voldemort's ruthlessness…

_Twenty Muggle Children Slaughtered_

_Village Attacked—No Survivors_

_Family Tortured Over Blood-Status_

The headlines went on and on.

He had to stop it.

He had to stop _him._

Especially now that Voldemort was trying to become immortal.

One night, Regulus jumped as his mother boomed, "Regulus, you're not eating. Did Kreacher burn the chicken? I'll have him cook a new one."

"Leave him alone," Regulus grunted, "The chicken's fine."

He pushed back his plate and abruptly said, "Did you know that Voldemort's planning on becoming immortal?"

He let out a small laugh, though there was nothing funny about it.

"What are you talking about?" Orion snapped.

And so Regulus told them.

And he was quite pleased when, upon finishing his story, his parents looked horrified.

At last, _at last, _they could see just how twisted of a situation this was.

Finally, Walburga sniffed, "It does seem like a tedious process."

"But perhaps the end justifies the means," Orion thoughtfully said.

Walburga nodded and exclaimed, "I always knew that the Dark Lord was going to go far in achieving his goals but I didn't know just how far he would take it."

Regulus felt his stomach twist.

She still sounded bewildered, but not like the hock that he had felt.

There was a hint of pride in her voice!

Regulus abruptly leapt up and walked away.

"Regulus!" Orion cried, "You didn't excuse yourself."

His mother shrieked his name but he ignored her.

He ran up to his room and slammed the door.

"So," Sirius softly asked, "What're you going to do?"

Regulus swallowed and asked, "What do you think…?"

"Don't," Sirius swiftly cut in, "This needs to be something that _you _want. Not me."

Regulus felt his throat burn.

"You know what you have to do," Sirius whispered.

"But I'm scared," Regulus croaked, "I'm so scared."

"You can do this," Sirius gently said.

And as always, those words gave him strength.

Regulus paced his room until his parents had gone to bed.

He finally crossed over to his desk, pulling out the locket that he had once received for Christmas—the locket that Sirius had hated.

Regulus took a deep breath and mumbled, "Come with me?"

"Where else am I going to go?" Sirius laughed.

Regulus crept down to the kitchen and rapped on the boiler door.

Kreacher emerged and croaked, "Master Regulus? What's wrong?"

"I need you to go back," Regulus whispered.

Kreacher's eyes widened and he cried, "But Master told me to stay hidden…"

"I know," Regulus murmured, "I…I now order you to take me back there. Take me to the cave. Now."

"Why?" Kreacher gasped.

"That's an order, Kreacher!" Regulus snapped.

Kreacher had already reached for the nearby frying pan, ready to punish himself for questioning an order.

Regulus wrestled it away from him and Kreacher muttered, "Very well. Hold onto Kreacher's arm, Master."

Regulus hesitated before doing so.

Thus, he left Grimmauld Place behind.

He was whirling, spinning, tumbling…

He finally landed and something pierced his side. He let out a small gasp and realized that it was a chunk of rock. He took a deep breath and pushed. The small balls of light appeared in his hands. He realized that he was standing in a small cave, made entirely of crystal. It was both eerie and beautiful at the same time.

"Now what?" Sirius asked.

"Now what?" Regulus echoed.

Regulus pointed to a wall and mumbled, "That is the entrance. It demands a blood sacrifice. Kreacher will be more than happy to—"

"No," Regulus quickly said, "That's alright."

The rock that had pierced his hip had drawn blood. Regulus dropped one of the balls of light, touched his fingers to the wound, and touched the rock. It gave away, revealing a larger cave that was almost entirely made up of a black lake. A small island was in the middle.

"Is that where the locket is?" Regulus whispered.

Kreacher nodded, looking shaken.

"I o…order you to take me over there," Regulus demanded, "Please."

Kreacher gave him a sorrowful look before raising his hand. A small boat emerged from the water, just big enough to fit the two of them. Even then, Regulus had to bring his knees to his chest.

"Don't touch the water, Master," Kreacher warned, "The Inferi…"

He shuddered before snapping his fingers.

The boat started forward, gliding across the smooth surface.

"What're you going to do when you get over there?" Sirius asked.

Regulus hesitated before saying, "I need to get that locket."

"You heard what Kreacher said," Sirius quietly said, "The potion…"

"It'll be okay," Regulus whispered.

"Are you going to make him drink it?" Sirius asked.

Regulus sighed before muttering, "No."

He was aware of the fact that the house-elf was staring at him in alarm.

"Reg," Sirius softly said.

Regulus ignored him.

"I'll drink the potion," Regulus whispered, carefully stumbling onto the island, "And Kreacher…I may need you to help me. I order you to help me. Don't stop. No matter what, alright? I need to drink it until it's gone. And…and after it is…I order you to take the locket and replace it with this."

He pulled his locket from his pocket and added, "Once you have Voldemort's locket, I want you to return to 12 Grimmauld Place. Return without me, if you must. And do whatever you can to destroy this. Don't worry about me. Just get the locket back. And don't tell anyone about this. Alright? These are all orders."

The house-elf sadly stared at him before saying, "Yes, Master."

Regulus nervously approached the basin. He saw a small shell—the same shell that Kreacher had raised to his lips. He plunged it into the potion.

Regulus took a deep breath and whispered, "I'm scared."

"I know you are," Sirius softly said, "But you can do this."

Regulus closed his eyes and swallowed the contents of the shell.

He immediately felt as though he was on fire.

He screamed in pain, immediately thinking of his seventh birthday.

The pain…

So much pain…

"Help me, Kreacher."

He opened his eyes and saw Kreacher lift the shell. He drank…

Oh, God.

It hurt so much.

As though he was being pierced by daggers.

"NO!" Regulus shrieked.

"You can do this, Reg."

And so he continued to drink and he continued to scream. Tears streaked down his cheeks until they were raw. He fell to his knees, gasping for breath. Kreacher was howling as he poured the potion down his throat.

And then, his mother was there.

She were screaming at him…such horrible things…

"Focus on me," Sirius whispered, "On me."

"_**YOU HAVE DISGRACED YOUR FAMILY!**_"

"They aren't here," Sirius assuredly said.

His father joined his mother, yelling and screaming.

"IGNORE THEM!" Sirius bellowed, "IGNORE THEM, REG!"

The sounds were deafening but he managed to focus on his brother's voice.

His brother…

Always there…

He would stop the pain. Sirius always stopped the pain.

Kreacher was excitedly talking to him. They had reached the bottom.

Thirsty…so thirsty…

So much pain…

Sirius…he would help…

Water…

Pain.

Sirius.

Water.

He needed water…

He crawled to the surface and dipped his hands…

Kreacher was screaming.

They were grabbing him, pulling him down…

"Sirius, help me!" Regulus roared.

But Sirius wasn't there.

He had never been there.

Well, that wasn't true.

Sirius had been there, loads of times.

Ever since they were tots.

But tonight, Sirius hadn't been there. Why would he have been? He was probably in his flat or on a mission with the Order or riding his motorbike through the country.

Regulus whispered his brother's name.

And then he was beneath the water.

He was sinking…

It was alright though.

Because even though Sirius wasn't physically there, his presence still was.

It always was.

Regulus always heard his brother's voice in the back of his mind…telling him what to do and what not to do…praising him…scolding him…keeping him going…

In one way or another, Sirius had always guided Regulus.

And he had guided him tonight.

Regulus knew that his brother would probably never know how he had died.

But that was okay.

If he did…oh, if he did…he would be so proud.

And nothing else mattered.

Not even death.

Death didn't matter, Regulus thought.

Sirius would be proud.

That was enough for him.


	41. Chapter 41

Author's Note: This entire chapter is going to be from Sirius' point-of-view. This is probably a bit obvious, seeing as how we no longer have another point-of-view, but I figured that it was best to mention. The page-breaks are merely to indicate that time has passed.

Chapter Forty-One

The sound of a doorbell caused Sirius to jerk awake.

He groggily stumbled downstairs and opened the door.

Moody and James were standing on the other side.

"Whassgoingon?" Sirius yawned, "Emergency mission?"

"No," Moody gently said, "Can we come in?"

Sirius' heart sank. Moody was rarely gentle.

"What is it?" Sirius asked, "What happened?"

"Sirius," James whispered, "Regulus…"

He broke off and Sirius felt his blood freeze.

Regulus what?

Moody and James both looked solemn.

"W…was he…a…arrested…?" Sirius stammered.

"I'm sorry, Black," Moody quietly said.

Sirius felt as though every inch of his body was being pierced with needles. The world seemed to fade at the edges as he stumbled backwards. He murmured something quite unintelligent. The light overhead fizzled and popped. Moody took a step in front of James.

"No," Sirius gasped, "N…no…he…c…no…can't…be…he…no…"

He brought his hands to his head and croaked, "How do you know?"

"The Death Eaters feel it," James mumbled, "Apparently, whenever anyone's mark goes out…they…they know."

"We have a few reliable sources," Moody added.

Sirius was finding it rather difficult to breathe.

"Stay with us, Sirius," Moody sharply said.

James ducked around Moody and took a step forward.

Sirius' defensive charged crackled but James still grabbed onto his shoulder.

"James…" Sirius dully said.

"It's alright," James whispered, "It's going to be alright, mate."

"Get…g…get…back."

"What?"

"Back…b…back…"

Moody grabbed James and pulled him back as Sirius let out the first wave of energy. He didn't mean it. It was accidental magic; just like when he was a child.

When he was a child…

He was barely two-years-old, curled up in his brother's cot…

"Sirius…"

He was teaching Regulus how to walk…hand-in-hand…one foot…then another…

"It's okay, mate!"

He was standing in the foyer…scraped and bruised…being punished…

"Black!"

Punished…punished…punished…

He took it all.

He took the blame.

He took the punishments.

He took the yelling.

He took the position of bastard son.

He took the hexes.

He took it all.

All for Regulus.

Because Sirius needed to protect him.

He needed to protect his brother.

Wave after wave of energy burst from Sirius, even after he crouched down and buried his face in his hands. Hot tears streamed down his face.

He had wanted to protect his brother.

He had failed.

oOo

"You didn't protect me."

An icy hand tickled Sirius' spine. He stopped dead in his tracks, shaking with fear.

It had been two years since his brother's death—two months since his _other_ brother's death…and his sister's…both gone…he had failed to protect them both…just like…

"You didn't protect me," Regulus whispered.

His brother was standing in the corner of his cell, his eyes shining with accusation.

Sirius' eye twitched. His jaw quivered.

At long last, he mumbled, "You…you are not my brother."

"You didn't protect me."

"My brother would never come to this horrid place," Sirius simply said, "He'd be too scared."

The ghost—hallucination—thing continued to repeat his phrase.

"You're not real," Sirius snapped.

"You didn't protect me."

"Go away."

"You didn't protect me."

"STOP IT!"

Sirius twisted on the spot. All of a sudden, he was a dog. He kept his eyes closed and though he could hear the muffled sounds of someone talking, he couldn't make out the words.

He turned on the spot and fell to the floor, burying his nose between his paws.

His howls blended in with the screams of the prisoners.

oOo

"You have a visitor."

Sirius woke up to the Ministry official's voice.

The man was standing on the other side of the bar, shivering slightly.

Sirius scrambled to his feet and the man walked away.

It had been almost a year…who would visit him?

Maybe Remus…

But no, he wouldn't have the power to convince the Ministry to allow him to visit. It would have to be someone high up. Maybe it was Dumbledore? The two could finally talk and Sirius could explain everything! Or perhaps it was someone to talk to him about a trial.

As it turned out, it was none of the above.

Walburga was the one walking down the corridor. She seemed to disregard the fact that Dementors were sweeping around her. Sirius bitterly realized that her heart was just as cold—perhaps even a bit colder. But, why was she here? She was the first visitor that he had received.

For a split second, he felt a small amount of gratitude.

"Hello, my son."

Sirius' skin crawled at her booming voice.

He shuddered and whispered, "What are you doing here?"

She hesitated and cried, "It appears that I was mistaken."

Sirius stared at her for a moment before saying, "What?"

"I didn't think that you had it in you," Walburga praised, "Giving information to the Dark Lord…blowing up a street of Muggles…"

Sirius groaned and angrily said, "That wasn't me! I would never do that James or Lily or those Muggles. Never!"

His words thundered throughout the entire corridor.

His mother looked at him with disgust and spat, "Pity. And here I thought that you had had a change of heart."

"And here I thought that you had formed one," Sirius snapped, "You honestly thought for a minute that I would be like you? That I would be part of the family again? I'd rather die!"

She stared at him for a moment before letting out a shriek of laughter that caused him to jump. Her eyes blazed as she spat, "You've spent years trying to distance yourself, trying to pretend that you're somehow better than us…and look where you are!"

Sirius felt his stomach boil with hatred.

She left without another word.

And yet, he could still see that vile smirk.

And he could still see those green eyes.

He would never be able to forget the green eyes.

oOo

At first, the balls of light had gotten smaller.

He would sit on his hard bed with his palms facing each other. His fingers would curve and he would close his eyes, desperately concentrating.

The energy would eventually come, but it would be small and feeble. It usually didn't last very long. And as time went on, it lasted less and less. A minute…then thirty seconds…then just a few short seconds…and then, he wasn't able to produce it at all.

The light was gone.

oOo

He had mail!

He greedily opened the envelope and several pieces of parchment fell into his hand.

He read through the first letter.

Ah, so his mother was dead.

Good riddance, the old hag.

But what was this?

He picked up the formal document and was surprised to realize that he was now the sole owner of 12 Grimmauld Place, their family's fortune, and Kreacher.

But how?

Sirius began to pace the cell, wondering how this was possible. Granted, his parents and Regulus were both gone. But still, he was no longer part of the family…

At long last, it dawned on him.

His parents had always been proud of that blasted tapestry. Sirius hadn't been nearly as impressed. He had always mumbled that it was just a tapestry. And now, as he paced the cramped cell, he was quite sure that the tapestry had no legal standing.

His mother had tried so hard to reject him from the family.

And yet, he was still the heir.

For the first time in quite a long time, Sirius let out a throaty laugh.

The tapestry was just a tapestry.

oOo

In the summer of 1994, a young girl nervously held onto her mother's hand as they walked past the dismal cemetery. She had always been afraid of it, despite her mother's assurances that ghosts weren't real.

And yet, on that warm day, the girl could have sworn that she heard a howl.

She stopped and her mother impatiently said, "Come along, now."

"But Mummy, didn't you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

The girl bravely glanced between the bars of the iron gate. She was relieved to see that the howl did not belong to a ghost at all. Rather, it belonged to a dog. He was sitting in front of a tombstone, his head flung back as he howled. It sounded so sad…

The girl squinted and could make out the first few letters of the name:

REGU

And then her mother was pulling her away, impatiently explaining that they were going to miss the train. So the girl hurried along, leaving the dog to mourn.

oOo

He had vowed to never return.

And yet, Sirius reluctantly found himself crossing the threshold of 12 Grimmauld Place.

He hadn't been in the parlor since…well…since he had practically blown it up. Somebody had repaired it, though it had since fallen into neglect.

Moody was talking to him, explaining all of the enchantments that had been put on the house. Sirius barely heard him. He shivered as he glanced at the bottom of the steps, remembering the time that he had fallen…

Speaking of falling.

"Damn!" Tonks cried.

She tripped over the umbrella stand and though Remus caught her, it still made a terrific crash. All at once, a voice blasted through the room:

"FILTH! SCUM! BY-PRODUCTS OF DIRT AND VILNESS! HALF-BREEDS, MUTANTS, FREAKS, BEGONE FROM THIS PLACE! HOW DARE YOU BEFOUL THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS-"

Sirius stopped dead in his tracks.

He broke out into a cold sweat and his chest rose and fell.

Remus looked up and asked, "Alright, mate?"

Sirius took several deep breaths as he watched Kingsley and Moody desperately try to pull the curtain over a hideous, yet somehow accurate, painting of his mother.

"Th…that's…" Sirius gasped, "That's new."

"It's a painting," Remus whispered, putting a hand on his shoulder, "Just a painting."

Sirius swallowed and croaked, "It's quite realistic."

oOo

_THUMP_

Sirius groaned as he stirred awake. He could hear the unmistakable sound of thumping and rustling coming from nearby. He was still half-asleep. Nothing made sense. He rolled over and buried his head beneath his pillow.

_THUMP_

And then another sound: the sound of Kreacher's angry shouts.

"BLOOD TRAITOR'S WIFE THINKS THAT SHE CAN COME IN HERE—?"

It was coming from across the corridor. But that wasn't right. Sirius' eyes flew open. His vision was still clouded with dreams but he rapidly blinked them away. He leapt up, the blanket tangled around his legs. He kicked it off and apprehensively opened his door. The door to Regulus' room was ajar. Sirius immediately felt his blood turn to ice. That room had been locked for over a decade. He pulled out his wand and made his way across.

He threw the door open and Mrs. Weasley screamed. The books that she had been holding crashed to the ground.

"Oh, Sirius," Mrs. Weasley gasped, "You startled me."

"Blood-traitor's wife!" Kreacher continued, "Going through Master Regulus' things!"

Sirius glanced around. Mrs. Weasley had taken it upon herself to pull boxes into his brother's room. A pile of clothes sat in one. His posters and school supplies sat in another.

"Kreacher, shut it," Sirius snapped, "Go, downstairs."

Kreacher reluctantly disappeared, but not without giving Molly a fiery glare.

Sirius felt like mimicking the house-elf's expression.

Instead, he swallowed and asked, "What are you doing?"

His voice sounded hollow, even to him.

"Sorting," Mrs. Weasley explained, "And you can help. Would you mind collecting the books and putting them in a box?"

"Yes," Sirius slowly said, "I would."

He couldn't understand why he was so upset. And yet, he felt as though he had swallowed fire. His entire stomach churned as he stared at his brother's half-discarded room.

Mrs. Weasley hadn't heard him. A feather duster had appeared on the end of her wand and she was sweeping it across the headboard as she said, "Hermione Granger is coming over and I thought that we could use the extra room. In that box, if you please."

Sirius realized that he had picked up the books. He gingerly held them but made no move to discard them. Instead, he grunted, "No."

"What was that, dear?"

"No," Sirius repeated.

Mrs. Weasley straightened up, quite surprised, before saying, "Suit yourself; if you want to hang onto them. But I'd rather have the shelf cleared if Hermione needs it…"

"No," Sirius throatily repeated, "She can't use this room."

Mrs. Weasley gave a start, "What? Why not?"

"It's off-limits," Sirius declared, dumping the books onto the bed, "I thought that was perfectly clear by the fact that it was locked."

His voice had risen. She put her hands on her hips and cried, "Well, forgive me but I don't know the history behind every room…"

"No, you don't!" Sirius loudly agreed, "And yet, you continue to stick your nose in every single room, discarding my family's things!"

She blinked before whispering, "Well…I think…I'll just go downstairs, then."

She brushed past him, her eyes brimmed with tears.

Sirius felt a pang of guilt but pushed it aside. He spent the next hour carefully putting everything back in its proper place.

He eventually sat down in the middle of the room, looking around.

He suddenly had the feeling that he was being watched. He quickly glanced up and saw that Remus was leaning against the doorway. He was staring at Sirius with a mixture of sadness and sympathy. Sirius didn't know how long he had been there; long enough, he supposed.

"Molly's crying," Remus calmly said.

"She does little else," Sirius grumbled.

"She's going through a lot," Remus patiently pointed out, "We all are."

Sirius nodded and Remus continued, "Cleaning…it helps."

"And she's welcome to clean anything in the house," Sirius replied, "Just not this room."

"Why not?"

Sirius looked up. Did Remus honestly not understand why he was so upset; why it was so important that the room remained unscathed?

"They're just possessions, Sirius," Remus softly said, "Put them in the attic, if you must, but there's no sensible reason to keep them in their place."

"I know," Sirius croaked, "I know that it's not sensible."

He took a deep breath and added, "But…I'm not one for sensibility, mate."

Remus chuckled but it was short-lived. He still looked sympathetically worried.

"You don't understand," Sirius muttered, "Remus…you've…you've faced a lot of tragedies in your lifetime but you've never lost a brother."

Something changed in his friend's eyes. When Remus spoke, his voice was significantly cooler, "I lost three brothers in one night, mate."

Sirius swallowed and murmured, "I'm…sorry…"

"Don't apologize to me," Remus gently said, "Apologize to Molly."

"I will," Sirius promised, "Later."

Remus nodded and asked, "In the meantime, would you mind helping me with the attic?"

Sirius shrugged and scrambled to his feet.

The two climbed up the spiral staircase and Sirius felt his heart plummet.

Quite suddenly, he was no longer thirty-five. He was a child, staring at the floor as his father burned a line into the wood. A line made to divide him and Regulus.

Sirius swallowed. He could still see the mark.

"What's that from?" Remus asked, glancing down at it.

Sirius took a deep breath and mumbled, "A game…"

oOo

Something big was going to happen.

Yet, Sirius couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Nevertheless, he found himself feeling rather jittery as he drank his coffee.

Perhaps it was the caffeine. Maybe what he needed was some tea.

He stood up and crossed to the other side of the kitchen. Instead of going to the pantry, however, he rapped on the door to the boiler.

Kreacher poked his head out and Sirius cried, "Kreacher, I order you to make some tea."

"Of course, Master," Kreacher silkily said.

The house-elf shuffled off and mumbled, "Kreacher would never have to take this kind of punishment from Master Regulus. If he was here—"

"Well, he's not here," Sirius snapped, "It's very sad. Now, about that tea?"

He retreated back to the table.

"Master Sirius doesn't know," Kreacher hissed, rummaging around in the pantry, "He doesn't know about my poor Master Regulus' death. So brave, he was. Kreacher can still see him being pulled beneath the water. It haunts Kreacher's nightmares."

Sirius looked up and confusedly said, "What the hell are you talking about?"

The house-elf paused before exclaiming, "Kreacher said nothing to you."

"But you _we_re saying something," Sirius pointed out, rising from the table, "You said that you can still see Regulus being pulled beneath the water?"

"I did not!"

"Did you…did you see Regulus die?" Sirius whispered.

"Kreacher isn't saying another word!"

Sirius tilted his head and mumbled, "But…no…that's impossible. Why would he see Regulus die? He was killed by a group of Death Eaters who thought that he was going AWOL."

"Master Sirius has heard rumors in Azkaban," Kreacher absentmindedly muttered.

"Rumors?" Sirius repeated.

Kreacher looked furious with himself.

"Does that mean…?" Sirius softly said.

He broke off and asked, "Kreacher, how did Regulus die?"

"I cannot say!" Kreacher wailed, suddenly looking very upset, "He told me to not tell! My brave, brave, Master Regulus told me to not tell anyone. It was his final order!"

Sirius was silent for a moment.

At long last, he whispered, "Well…then…I order you to forget that order."

Kreacher blinked at him before suddenly looking rather amused as he said, "Master Sirius has always been able to find that loophole."

"Tell me, Kreacher," Sirius whispered, "Tell me everything."

And so, he did.

By the time he was finished, the house-elf was bawling and Sirius' own eyes were brimmed with tears.

He felt warm, unusually warm. It was a strange sort of warmth that spread from his stomach to his chest to his limbs.

Sirius realized that for the first time in years, he felt genuinely happy.

He leapt to his feet and climbed the stairs, entering the parlor.

He whisked the curtain away from the painting and Walburga began to scream.

"Shut up," Sirius calmly said.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME?"

"I told you to shut up," Sirius repeated, "Shut up and listen to me."

To his surprise, she quieted down.

"You failed," Sirius giggled, "You failed, you old bitch."

"What are you talking about?" Walburga shrieked.

"You wanted two sons that would follow your ideals," Sirius exclaimed, "Two sons that you could treat like vermin, as long as they did what you wanted. Two sons that could be puppets—puppets that could be trained to carry out your bigoted views. And you…you failed."

He let out a small laugh before continuing, "You never had me. Never. And you knew that. But, at least you still had Regulus. Or, so you thought. So, I thought…"

He shook his head and said, "You had the meilleur fils…the perfect son…the perfect son who would do exactly what you wanted…including joining the Death Eaters."

A smirk spread across his face as he whispered, "But he defied you in the end. I don't think that he meant to. But he died defying Voldemort—"

"HIS DEATH WAS AN ACCIDENT!"

"Oh, is that what you heard?" Sirius laughed, "Don't feel bad…I heard some bad rumors myself…but they aren't true. The truth is that Regulus…"

He broke off before tenderly whispering, "Regulus was a lot braver than I thought."

He turned on his heel and walked away, leaving his mother to scream.

He took the steps two at a time before slowing down.

Sirius took a deep breath as he entered the drawing room. Bits of dust leapt up as he crossed the floor. He solemnly stopped in front of the ancient tapestry. Hours of his life had been wasted in front of this tapestry as his parents had explained the importance of it.

It was just a tapestry.

But maybe—just maybe—it stood for something more.

Sirius beamed as he saw the burn mark that would have been his name.

He slowly raised his wand and cried a spell.

A small BANG echoed throughout the room and he heard the sound of running footsteps.

Remus entered, looking alarmed.

"It's alright," Sirius assuredly said, "I was just—"

"Harry's at the Department of Mysteries," Remus gasped.

"What?" Sirius cried.

"He and his friends," Remus explained, "They think that you're there."

"Then there's not a moment to waste," Sirius declared, "Come on!"

He hurried out of the room, but not before taking one last glance at the tapestry.

Regulus' name was gone, replaced by a burn mark that was almost identical to his own.

The two marks sat next to each other.

Perhaps they were just simple marks on a simple tapestry.

But maybe—just maybe—they stood for something more.

Author's Note: There _is_ going to be a short epilogue but I want to take this moment to thank everyone who is reading this! Yes, this. This Author's Note. Because if you're reading this then that means that you have most likely read through forty-one chapters of this story. So thank you for taking the time to read it. And thank you to everyone who took the extra time to review.


	42. Chapter 42

Epilogue

_Blackbird fly_

_Blackbird fly_

_Into the light of the dark black night_

Sirius was floating along in a sea of stars.

He glanced around at the different celestial bodies.

He wasn't quite sure how he had gotten here.

One moment, he had been on top of an archway…laughing…

There had been some pain, but that was gone now.

Sirius looked forward and beamed.

Another person was floating towards him.

The two stars drifted towards each other.

They grabbed onto each other's arms and Sirius leaned forward, resting his forehead against his brother's forehead.

The two finally pulled back and beamed at each other.

"What happened to you?" Regulus warmly asked.

"Bellatrix," Sirius replied.

Regulus snorted and said, "Fitting."

Sirius grinned before saying, "I finally figured out what happened to you."

"Took you long enough," Regulus teased.

Sirius squeezed his arms and whispered, "I'm so proud of you."

"I know."

"So," Sirius curiously asked, "What now?"

Regulus smiled and slyly said, "We own the universe, remember?"

Sirius beamed and whispered, "It's ours for the taking."

_Blackbird fly_

_Blackbird fly_

_Into the light of the dark black night_


End file.
